# Shriners & Islam? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 13, 2001, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shriners-islam/87250 "2001-10-13T14:05:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![excitableboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@excitableboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excitableboy)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2001, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shriners-islam/87250/1 "2001-10-13T14:05:43Z")
Okay, it hasn’t escaped me that Shriners dress like Turkish assassins, but then again, so did Akbar (for you original Weekly Readerites). Is there any connection the world should be aware of? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2001, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shriners-islam/87250/2 "2001-10-13T15:37:41Z")
The short answer is that the Shriners are one of those Masonic organizations that spuriously trace their origins back to ancient Egypt. This happened around the 1900’s, which is when the fezzes were presumably still in fashion in Egypt. ---
**Author:** ![slipster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@slipster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slipster)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shriners-islam/87250/3 "2001-10-15T21:28:47Z")
Freemasons claim to trace their origins back to the architect who designed the Temple of Solomon. Some of them may actually believe it. Shriners started in the 1920s, basically as a group for Freemasons who wanted to do more partying. Most Shriners I know are pretty frank about this though, to their undeniable credit, they also do some very fine charitable work. One reason Shriners look “Muslim” to the general American population is because the male members of the Moorish Sciene Temple wear fezzes. This denomination, more-or-less a forerunner to the Nation of Islam (there are connections, but their nature and extent are subject to some dispute), was founded by one Noble Drew Ali who, in the opinion of historians who are not adherants to his faith, got most of his “knowledge” of Islam from some Freemason manuals. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shriners-islam/87250/4 "2001-10-15T21:38:16Z")
As an aside: I saw a parade in Ligonier, PA, on Saturday, which is always filled with many bands of Shriners from across the state (and some from as far as Canada). We all noted that many of the groups (“Syria Temple, Pittsburgh, Pa.” comes to mind) who normally wear stereotypical “Arab” costumes (Aladdin-style stuff–turbans, curly-toed shoes, poofy pants, billowing, colorful shirts, scimitars) toned things down a bit–in light of the generally heightened anti-Arab/Islamic sentiment that prevails this year, or so we assumed. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shriners-islam/87250/5 "2001-10-16T02:46:25Z")
according to this site: [http://www.ben-ali-shriners.org/faq.html](http://www.ben-ali-shriners.org/faq.html) > [@](#): > > The Shrine is as North American as baseball, hot dogs and apple pie. It was tied to an Arabic theme by its founders, Billy Florence, an actor, and Walter Flemming, a physician. Flemming and Florence realized the fledgling fraternity needed a colorful, exciting backdrop. It is believed that Florence conceived the Shrine’s Near-east setting while on tour in Eastern Europe. > > As the legend goes, Florence attended a party in Marseilles, France, hosted by an Arabian diplomat. At the end of the party, the guests became members of a secret society. Florence realized this might be the ideal vehicle for the new fraternity, and he made copious notes and drawings of the ceremony. > > When Florence returned to the States, Flemming agreed, and together they created elaborate rituals, designed the emblem and costumes, and formulated the salutation. > > Though the Shrine is not itself a secret society, it still retains much of the mysticism and secrecy of its origins.