'Eastern Bureau, Basrah Branch' [‎7r] (15/188)

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"'urks, yet guoh haa not beon tbe oane, and thourh tbo reli-
gioua prestige of the ^urka may have received a blow, yet
enough of their political preeti^e atill remains to keen the
Bahrain Sunnis oro-Tirrk and anti-3herif.
.
I have atated above that to the :>hia alao, the ^urlriah Enmire
haa a political if not a reli^ioua appeal. But the TurMah
atrocities at Kerbala, already alluded to, have in my opinion
completely alienated Bahrain Shia opinion.
On the other hand memoriea in the Eaat are aometimea ahort,
and any further propaganda on the aame aubject - even if it
contained nothin/?; new - would havo a rood effect here.
To aum up:-
(1) No Hahrainia either Shia or Simni, have, or ever will
have, any deairefor Turkish rule.
(ii) As lon^ aa the Turkish Empire remains an entity there
will always be, amongst the Gunnis here, an under-current of
pro-Turkish sympathy, and since thia sentiment ia baaed aa
much on political aa relisrioua /rounds it will not be very
much affected by occurrences lowering only the religious
prestige of Turkey. (Though of course the Hedjaz Revolt is
of military and political significance also)
(3) The Bahrani Shias, alienated by the ^urkish atrocity
at Kerbala, are at present anti-Turkish, and will in all
probability remain so, especially if "]'ept un to the mark"
by further propaganda.
jj. Captain,
Offg. Political A rent, ^A TT 2«.T~.