File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎375r] (758/834)

Extracts from a f^lote on the “ Skhwan ” IVSovement.
By Major H. R. P. Dickson, Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. , Bahrein.
On my recent visit to Hasa to meet Ibn Sand I tried to dis
cover as much about the “ Ikhwan ” movement as possible.
This I found a rather difficult task, as wherever I made enquiries
I seemed to be looked upon with suspicion. It was obvious to
me that people had been given the hint, by some one in authority,
to give away as little as possible, and I was forced to the con
clusion that Ibn Saud himself was at the bottom of the matter.
I believe now that he had issued instructions that as little as
possible regarding the new movement should be divulged to
strangers. The reason for this is, I think, not far to seek.
Firstly, Ibn Saud is alarmed at the notice which the outside
world has taken of the movement; secondly, he is annoyed to
think that such advertisement has been brought about by wild
and exaggerated reports as to the goings-on of the Ikhwan ;
thirdly, he realizes that in some quarters the movement is looked
upon with distrust and alarm ; and, lastly, he does not want it
to be known that he himself is at the bottom of the movement
and is fostering and guiding it for his own ends.
Generally speaking, Ikhwanism does not appear to be the
entirely bad movement it is made out to be. It seems to be a
genuine religious revival; an attempt on the part of the masses
of Central Arabia to improve themselves religiously and mentally,
and especially is it an attempt to purify Islam of all the many
evils which contact with so-called European influence has
brought in its train. However that may be, touching the actual
ideas and ambitions of men like Ibn Saud, it is certain that the
masses are genuinely stirred by a very intense enthusiasm and
desire to live better lives. The Ikhwan consist, principally,
of the ignorant classes, and the movement may be said to include
all the Bedouin tribes of Nejd and adjacent countries. The
more educated classes, such as townsmen and merchants, are
nearly all orthodox Wahhabis, and though these do not approve
of some of the tenets of the Ikhwan, more especially their earlier
intolerance, they consider the movement God-given and an
infinitely preferable state of affairs to the beast-like ignorance
and idolatry which existed among the Bedouin previously. It
is true that the original movement took the most fanatical form,
but under Ibn Baud’s firm and tactful guidance it has lost most
of its unreasonable bigotry, and its members now devote them
selves to self-improvement and prayer, whereas, before, their