PZ 5013/40 'Propaganda among Shi'ite communities in Iraq and Persia' [‎27v] (54/196)

Please see submission at P.Z.776/41. Maulana
Moh'amed Bashir of Taxila, Punjab, was the first of the
’’religious dignitaries” chosen by the Government of
India to go to Iraq and Persia for propaganda purposes,
he was to travel as an ordinary pilgrim, and arrived in
Iraq on the 16th March, where he entertained Ulemas and
Mujtahids and received certificates of Ijtihad.
He appears to have fallen foul of most of the cumuli VW
British h mb assy at Baghdad, and also of the administrators
of the Oudh bequest and of the Vice-Consul at Baghdad,
Khan^Sahib Tahir Hussain Sahib Qureshi, who originated
the idea of these propaganda pilgrimages (P.Z.5013/40).
He accuses Qureshi of giving away information, and of
r&i.llxig i »0 forward his reports, which,he says, came into
the hands of Rashid Ali’s Government and led to his
arrest as a spy by the Iraqi Police. Bashir was thrown
into Baghdad jail, and thence taken via the Police
iraining School, where ne was questioned about his reports,
to a prison camp, from which he was released at the
suppression of the rebellion.
in Iraq (pages 7-11), and suggestions for future propaganda
there (pages 11 and 12 ). x
Bashir arrived in Persia on the 19th June, and
on pages 13-16 of his report he reviews public opinion
there and telrs of the measures he took to counter
anti—British propaganda from Iraq and to discount German
propaganda. -
which he oould visit in the guise of an ordinary pilgrim,
Bashir married the daughter of a Qizalbash family", and
thus had an excuse to travel about Persia to visit her
relations, and also to return there at will. He intends
to train his v/ife, v/ho is ’’very cute and adept at propaganda”
for work among Persian v/omen. She is to live six months in f
Persia and six months in India.
for future propaganda in Persia, including the posting of
a Vice-Consul at Birjand and the establishment of Shia
Muslim traders from India there.
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He gives an outline of his propaganda methods
Since there are only three holy places in Persia
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On pages 18 m** 20 he makes various suggestions
For information.
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