ملف ١١/١٠ ابن سعود والحجاز: سقوط الطائف؛ تنحي الملك حسين؛ احتلال مكة [و‎‎٦‎٧] (٥١٤/١٣٣)

i486.
Tole^ra^ P., No. 1486 -S. dated 25th Septr. 1924.
I’rnm- Viceroy (F. oc P.Dept.), Sirda.
To - Secy, of State, London.
(Repeated Jeddah and Baghdad reference his telecrarr:
iIoil69-S. dated September 17th).
Tentative appreciation of various shades of Muslim
opinion in India, which has not however yet Crystallised,
rec-ardincr WaheOoi threat to Holy Places, is as follows -
Sober Muhammadans imaard present developments as
likely to lead to further disintegration of Islam.
Khilafatists, however, welcome success of Wahabis openly
and hope to succeed in securing satisfactory assurances'
from Bin Gaud in recard to safety of Holy Places and Haj
routes. They are raising outcry at prospect of British
renderin'- assistance to iflnc Hussein or otherwise inter
fering in Civil V/ar in Holy Land. Mussulmans generally
would welcome Kiny Hussein’s removal from overlordship
of Hejaz, as they feel towards him deep-seated hostility
which has been recently strengthened by exaggerated
reports of pilgrims suffering this season and for the
moment this is dominant consideration amcnc them. On
other hand there is no cenuine likinc here for V/ahabis
cwinc to their past record and religious differences and
it is expected that larce body of Sunni ©pinion would
definitely assert itself acainst them if an advance on
Mecca and Medina were accompanied by usual process of
destruction and desecration. Bin Gaud himself though now
hailed by extremists is suspect#^ politically in the eyes
of many in view of his past acceptance of British subsidy.
(Usual distribution, Mabul 6c H.Ks.)
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