File 1202/1912 'Arabia:- Travellers. Capt. F. F Hunter. Herr Runkiar (Danish Expedition). Capt Shakespear.' [‎115v] (235/358)

The Turkish authorities have thus on their hands three different affairs m the
Musal vilayet alone—with the Barazani Sheikh, with the I lama wan d^ and with
the Euphrates tribes-any one of which single, it is probable, would sufficiently tax
the disposable remarkable developments in the Catholic-Nestorian
difficulty at Musal (see Summary, November 1909, I, 3, and December 1909 to January
1910 Mat 4 Elias, the Bishop of the Algosh Nestorians, arrived at Musal on the 23rd
January 1910 bringing with him two letters from the authorities at Constantinople to
the k>cal' autWitJ afvan, in which it was ordered that he should be allowed to
travel in those parts of the Van vilayet where there are Nestonans and that Nes
torians should be (? separately) registered ; the letters dated so far back as the 19th
August and 8th October, 1909, mentioned that identical instructions had been issued to
the*Musal vilayet. On the strength of these letters Mar Elias travelled to Musal
with Mr W A Wigram of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s mission, stopping on the
way for two days at Algosh, where he was well received. On reaching Musal he took
up his abode in the house of Mr. Nimrod Rassam, honorary dragoman of the British
vice-consulate and reported his arrival to the local authorities whom he at the same
time informed of the orders in his case. In reply he was told that fresh instructions
had lately been received from Constantinople under which he must leave Musal and
return to the place from which he had come. -.a u
On the 3rd February the vati of Musal admitted, m cpnversation with the British
representative, that he had not himself seen the alleged instructions for the removal of
Mar Elias from Musal ; nevertheless on the 4th February, without any reference to the
vice-consul, a party of gendarmes was sent to arrest the Bishop a,t Mr Rassam s house.
A considerable crowd consisting mostly of Chaldean Catholics collected before the house,
but the door was closed and the gendarmes did not go so far as to force it °P en -
On the 5th February the Protestant community at Musal consisting of about 130
persons applied to Constantinople for recognition of Mar Elias as their official head;
and late on the same day the vali made a formal request (to the British vice-consul) for
the surrender of Mar Elias. ,
On the 7th February, a Monday, Mr. Greig replied that the matter was receiving
his attention ; and he complained of the threatened violation of the honorary dragoman s
house and asked what steps the vali proposed to take in regard to it. The vice-consul
also received a petition from the local Protestant community, begging for his protection
against the machinations of the Chaldean Patriarch. ^ ,
On the 8th February Mr. Greig suggested that, as Mar Elias was m bad health,
the vali would represent to the authorities at Constantinople the inhumanity of obliging
him to undertake another long journey in winter. On the next day the vali stated that
he had received orders from head-quarters to arrange for Mar Elias being attended
to in Government Hospital at Musal; meanwhile, however, the Bishop had left the
house of Mr. Nimrod Rassam. ' • T u 4
It is understood that Catholic influence is being brought to bear against Javdat
Bey, the maktubji or chief secretary to the vali. The Catholics evidently apprehend
that, if Mar Elias is allowed full freedom, numbers of Nestorians who have joined the
Catholic communion will revert to the Nestorian Church ; and it is unfortunately
evident, from the news reports that I receive, that this would be regarded as a local
success of British over French influence.
For the information of the Government of India I should explain that, in matters
such as the Catholic-Nestorian difficulty—in which immediate orders are required, the
British vice-consul at Musal deals directly with His Britannic Majesty’s Embassy at
Constantinople. Until I have visited Musal, it would be impossible for me even to make
useful suggestions in cases requiring local knowledge.
5. A new cadi has lately been appointed to Musal in the person of Raghib Effendi, a
native of Damascus. He will probably act as vali in case of Muhammad Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. assuming
direct charge of military operations, and it is feared that he has already come under the
influence of Sabunji Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. (see paragraph 3 above).
II .—Bagdad Vilayet.
1. Last year some of the Dilaim, the same tribe as that which has been giving
trouble in the Musal vilayet (see I, 3, above), were raided near Shifathah- by some o
* See Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. Gazetteer, vol. ii, pp. 1801-5.