Freemasonry (Part Five)

Author: Abu Raef

Freemasonry (Part Five)

Famous Freemason Writers and Their Supporters

In this section, we discuss the supporters of this movement and the individuals who, through their writing and efforts, prepared the ground for the development and spread of this movement. In reality, these writers were the strong arms of Freemasonry, and their writings played a highly important and prominent role in explaining and clarifying the hidden activities and goals of this movement. The most prominent writers and propagators of this movement are as follows:

First: Shahin Makariyus (d. 1910 CE);

He was a Lebanese writer and journalist and one of the well-known and prominent Masonic figures in Egypt. He was the founder and head of the Masonic lodge (al-Laṭāʾif — “The Subtleties”) and attained the highest Masonic degree, the “33rd Degree,” which carries the title (Raʾīs Sharaf Aʿẓam  “Grand Honorary President”) as he himself stated in his books. He was among the founders of the newspapers “(al-Muqattam),” “al-Muqtataf,” and “(al-Laṭāʾif).”

Among Arab writers, Shahin Makariyus can be considered more than anyone else a servant of the Masonic school through his pen, as he authored nearly ten books in this field, including: (al-Ādāb al-Masūniyyah — “Masonic Ethics”) (al-Asrār al-Khafiyyah fī al-Jamʿiyyah al-Masūniyyah — “The Hidden Secrets in the Masonic Society”) (al-Ḥaqāʾiq al-Aṣliyyah fī Tārīkh al-Masūniyyah al-ʿAmaliyyah — “The Fundamental Facts in the History of Operative Freemasonry”) (al-Jawhar al-Maṣūn fī Mashāhīr al-Māsūn — “The Guarded Essence in the Biographies of Famous Freemasons”) and (al-Durr al-Maknūn fī Gharāʾib al-Māsūn — “The Hidden Pearl in the Wonders of the Freemasons”) [1]

In the introduction to his book (al-Ādāb al-Masūniyyah) he proudly quotes the praise of the Grand Masonic Lodge in Egypt for his work, in which it states: “The National Grand Lodge of Egypt to the esteemed brother Shahin Makariyus, head of the al-Laṭāʾif lodge, after the fraternal greeting: With great joy we read your book on Masonic etiquette and we appreciated your dedication in printing this beneficial work. In the session dated 22 June of this year at the Masonic House, it was decided that, in recognition of your services, the universal Masonic medal shall be awarded to you by the National Grand Lodge of Egypt… Signed: The Grand Secretary.” [2]

Second: Jurji Zaydan (d. 1914 CE);

He was a well-known Lebanese writer, translator, historian, and literary figure. In his book Tarikh al-Masuniyyah Al-am (“The General History of Freemasonry”), he admits that in composing this work he relied on the testimonies of prominent followers of Freemasonry with whom he personally had connections, as well as on the official documents, publications, and encyclopedias of Masonic lodges in both the East and the West.

He writes: “I deemed it necessary to undertake this work despite knowing its difficulty… To collect information on Freemasonry in the East, I wrote to many well-informed brethren in those regions and received their reports, and based on that I recorded the events of the East… As for the history of Freemasonry in Egypt, I took most of the material from Mr. Zola, the former Grand Master of the Egyptian lodges.” [3]

Jurji Zaydan adds that in compiling the history of Freemasonry in Europe he benefitted from English and French sources, naming several works such as:

• Tarikh al-Masuniyyah by Rebold (French);

• Tarikh al-Masuniyyah by Findel (English);

• Al-Rumuz al-Masuniyyah by Paton (English);

• Darajat al-Haykiliyyin by Calcohon (English);

• Al-Masuniyyah by Hogg (English);

• Asrar al-Masuniyyah by John Fellows (English). [4]

His book was the first Arabic reference on Freemasonry and was published in 1889 CE.

The admiring expressions he uses for Freemasonry in the introduction of his book indicate that he himself was a member of it, for he writes: “There is nothing among the actions of Freemasonry except that which is a source of pride for it, and in its principles, there is nothing except that which increases honor… Its principles are among the noblest of principles, and its goal is among the noblest of goals.” [5]

The author of Dā’irat al-Ma‘ārif al-Masuniyyah al-Musawwarah also says about him: “He was among the prominent Masons in Egypt.” [6]

Likewise, many writers and researchers in this field have considered him affiliated with Freemasonry and counted him among the members of this movement. [7]

Third: ‘Awad al-Khuri (d. 1929 CE);

A Lebanese political writer and translator, and a member of Freemasonry who reached its high degrees. [8] After he obtained a confidential historical document from the President of Brazil, Berdonet de Morais, showing that the roots of Freemasonry go back to a Jewish group called Jam‘iyyat al-Quwwah al-Khafiyyah in the first century CE and that it was revived under the name Freemasonry in 1717 CE, he translated it from Hebrew and French into Arabic and published it for the first time in 1926 CE, then republished it in 1929 CE with additional information.

He presented this work to Father Louis Shaykhu al-Yasu‘i, who approved it. The book was published under the title Tabdid al-Zhulam or Asl al-Masuniyyah. [10]

This action led to the anger of the Freemasons and their accusation of him of “hypocrisy and fabrication,” even though his writing counts as testimony from within Freemasonry itself.

His material was later supported by several political and historical testimonies, including the works of Arthur Sherib Aspridovich in Al-Hukumat al-Makhfiyyah lil-‘Alam, and William Guy Carr in Ahjar ‘ala Raq‘at al-Shatranj and Al-Shaytan Amir al-‘Alam, which describe the role of the Jewish-Masonic force in global turmoil. [11]

Fourth: Hanna Abu Rashid (d. 1974)

He was a Lebanese writer and journalist, and one of the open defenders of Freemasonry. He authored «Dāʾirat al-Maʿārif al-Masūniyyah al-Musawwara» (The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry) in service of this order, and introduced himself as «ʿAmīd al-Masūniyyah al-Mithāliyah al-ʿĀlamiyyah» (Dean of Universal Ideal Freemasonry). He also stated clearly that he had been commissioned by the Grand Lodge of France to establish Masonic lodges, which is clear evidence of his elevated status among the Freemasons. [12]

Fifth: Dr. Muhammad Ali al-Zu‘bi

A Lebanese researcher, who states in the introduction of his book «al-Masūniyyah fi al-ʿArā’» (Freemasonry in the Open) that he sat with Freemasons, knew them closely, heard their conversations, and documented them. He organized this work with dates and names, presenting the viewpoints of both supporters and opponents of Freemasonry. [13] He even reached conclusions that, according to him, prove the beauty and goodness of this movement. [14]

These individuals are among the most famous and well-known writers who authored works about the secretive and mysterious movement of Freemasonry and praised it. Their efforts were based on whitening its image and presenting it favorably. They attempted in their writings to portray this movement as benevolent, supportive of the poor and needy, believing in God, possessing a glorious, orderly, and coherent history, and they sought to answer the objections and doubts raised against it. Some of them also held very high responsibilities within the movement, even reaching the level of leadership and presiding over central sessions.

To be continued…

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References:

1. al-Masūniyyah bayna Anṣārihā wa Khuṣūmihā (Freemasonry Between Its Supporters and Opponents), p. 235.
2. al-Ādāb al-Masūniyyah (Masonic Ethics), Introduction.
3. Tārīkh al-Masūniyyah al-ʿĀmm (The General History of Freemasonry), p. 8.
4. Ibid
5. , p. 7.
6. al-Masūniyyah bayna Anṣārihā wa Khuṣūmihā (Freemasonry Between Its Supporters and Opponents), p. 237.
7. Shalash, Dr. Ali, al-Yahūd wa al-Māsūn fī Miṣr (The Jews and the Freemasons in Egypt), al-Zahrāʾ lil-Iʿlām al-ʿArabī, First Edition, 1407 AH, no place of publication.
8. al-Khūrī, ʿAwad, Tabdīd al-Ẓalām aw Aṣl al-Masūniyyah (Dispersing the Darkness or The Origin of Freemasonry), p. 21, undated, no place of publication.
9. This society was a Jewish group founded by Herod Agrippa, the governor of the Jews in Palestine, in the year 43 CE. Its aim was to extinguish Christianity at that time, and to strike Islam in this era. This movement was extremely secretive and hidden, and even many Jews were unaware of it. It did not take long before the movement became afflicted with fragmentation and division, and it collapsed—until, in later centuries, it was re-established and revived in the form of Freemasonry.
10. Tabdīd al-Ẓalām aw Aṣl al-Masūniyyah (Dispersing the Darkness or The Origin of Freemasonry), p. 22.
11. al-Masūniyyah bayna Anṣārihā wa Khuṣūmihā (Freemasonry Between Its Supporters and Opponents), p. 239.
12. , p. 240.
13. al-Masūniyyah fī al-ʿArāʾ (Freemasonry in the Open), p. 14.
14. Ibid