File 53/1915 Part IV 'German War: Turkey; Caliphate etc' [‎155r] (306/481)

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THE POLITICS OF MECCA.
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HAIL .
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uic aim of the Sherif Hussein, since midsummer
of last year, has been to reconcile all the Arab
poxers in Arabia; to do this, it was first necessary
to persuade them to abandon all side-issues.
his missives to Ibn fiashid had not much
success. The Emir could not refrain from making
forays into tne rear of Ibn oaoud’s dominions, while
he was away In the Hasa. aherlf Abdulla did, how-
6ver t 8 ucc 0 Gd in (iefgat/ing t»he counsels or 'th© Turco-
phil advisers at HAIL, wty> were advocating common
action with the Turks and the Muntefik against the
British, ^ Ibn Rashid round several of his more power
ful supporters against the proposed move, and the
split intensified to such an extent, that several
Ateiba sheikhs left HAIL, and returned in Abdullah
train to Mecca,
^ Between the Sherlf and the uahabi power there
has been a truce of late. This is perhaps natural,
as the Wahabis are too weak at present to cause the
aherif any apprehension. There is little doubt how
ever, that there will be a clash between them again,
if Ibn aaoud grows really strong. The misdeeds of
the Y<ahabis, a century ago, when they laid waste the
Holy Places of Islam, ill-treated the Imams, and
prevented the pilgrimage, united the whole of Islam
against them, and spurred even the Egyptians into
undertaking a campaign of extermination. The
Wahabi sect, as a form of extreme puritanism, has
latent
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