"ملف 9/4 إصلاحات البحرين. تطبيق الإصلاحات في البحرين" [و‎‎٥‎٨] (٢٢٤/١٣٢)

J
presumably had been prepcred beforehand, and having read it out to the crowd,
handed it to Major Daly. Ihe gist of this letter (as reported in my telegram
No. 88, dated 15th January) is that Sheikh Hamad is prepared to take
whatever action he is directed to do by Government but is unable to do
anything without such orders. In this connection I forward herewith a copy
of a telegram from the Bahreini community dated 15th instant reporting this
incident and imploring the assistance of Government.
5. Previous to the arrival of Sheikh Hamad certain members of the
Baharnah community had presented a petition to Major Daly on the 13th
instant asking him to forward to me a copy of a monster petition signed and
sealed by hundreds of Bahrein Shiahs. These were duly forwarded to me and
a copy of each of them is annexed, for the information of Government.
6. Prior to the receipt of these petitions two Bahrein Shiah subjects
came over to Bushire by the mail steamer which brought Siieikh Hamad
from Lingah, bringing a petition to me (copy annexed) They asked for
an interview and a reply which they c^uld take back to the Bahrein Shiah
community. I interviewed them on Saturday the 12th instant, and yesterday
gave them a reply to their petition, a copy of which is annexed for inform
ation, and I told the petitioners very much what I have said in my written
reply, viz., that Borne was not built in a day, in other words. But time is
eoinc on now and six months have elapsed since we started to introduce the
reforms, and it is certain that if the Khalifah family can organize such out
rages more or less with impunity, the reforms will be a farce.
7. T enclose, for the information of the Government of India, a copy
of Maior Daly's letter, No. 13-C., dated 15th January, reporting the incident.
It will be seen from this and from the petition of the Bahrein fehiah com
munity that the punishment meted out for the last Sitrah outrage was not
sufficient. The banishment of Sheikh Selman bin Khalid to Katar is a farce,
while Sheikh Ali who was sent to Bombay at the expense of the Bahrein
Government is really now more comfortable than be has been iu his i e.
It seems necessary therefore if it is found that Sheikh Khalid or his son
Ibrahim instigated or abetted this crime to punish them more severely: banish
ment or deportation on more stringent terms seems called for, perhaps bams
ment with a term of imprisonment to start with,
8. As I have already suggested in my telegram. No. 51, dated ^ 10th
January 1 think the institution of the Levy Corps at Bahrein should be
expedited and that if the Muscat Government agrees, as many men as can
he spared should be lent to the Bahrein Government pending the raising of ^
the Len for the Bahrein Corps by the Commandant of the Muscat Levy
Corps. _ .
9 I consider that if men are available and are sent to Bahrein, as scon
as they have settied down a detachment should be sent to Sitrah to protect
the place, and its cost recovered from "'e emoUunents and revenue of SheOA
Khalid and Sheikh Ibrahim. Other detachments could ,^f,
suitable places to protect Shiahs from these outra S^'^ d t
to be placed at anyplace as the resu.l ot an ou „ v rpvpnneq of the
detachment should be met (at least as far as possible) from the ^nues 0 f the
members of the Khalitah family or Headman o the ^
instigated the outrage, or if it was committed by a Sunm Tillage, from that
^0 will be seen from the correspondence, as already reported in
my telegram. No. 90,_ dated 15 * b ^ tL wMe Khalifah
incapable ot taking action m the face of tl pp T • bein^ but I
and fleeced and oppressed, and is realiy not m sympathy with any
improving their position.
11. I have, unlers my memory plays me false, . sta ^ impossibi-
that the principal difficulty in introducing re orms in " L capable of
lity of finding anyone among the ruling family or upper class ca^u
2 and
6.