File 522/1922 Pt 1 'Persian Gulf: Bahrein affairs: Retirement of Shaikh Isa; Reforms' [‎38r] (84/804)

my reply to the petition sent by Your TT™ n
subjects, and I am not prepared tn rl„ t° eUenc y an d a few of your
nection, especially as you were 1st dist ZwT'i ^ oelleEc y “ th ls len
to take part in political affairs in Bahrain * 'l f °/ b i dde r by Co!on el Knox
cern Your Excellency. If there are anv therefore no longer con-
pleased to consider them together with vonr ^ «i 0r -i d i! S 5 Usslon 1 sha11 be
hands the conduct of affairs in these IslLds now Is.^ Hamad ’ in whose
a purely friendly vi®?t on^ tfl^uLdOTstodi^th^ 116 ^- m i 0W>W on
whatsoever will be discussed My visit to Pshr* *• “? P olltl< ; aI matters
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. regarding reform?to be i?^ T 18 A COnsult wifh «he
wtth the petition Ihich L^lSy^^ty^wTred^ n ° COnn£Cti0n
Enclosure 2.
Translation of a petition from twelve Sunni Nakhudas, sent on board
it. i. IVl. o. Lawrence on 1st November 1923
To
Lieut. -Col. A. P. Trevor, C.S.I., C.I.E.,
Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ,
Oh Noble Sir,
Major Daly has published to the people of Bahrain a notice in reply
to our petition as follows :—
“ As it appears from petitions I have received and other sources that
people are in doubt as regards the continuity ot policy regarding reforms,
I, Col. A. P. Trevor hereby inform and make it clear to ail people in
Bahrain that His Majesty's Government after exhaustive inquiry decided
last May that the condition of affairs in Bahrain Islands urgently demanded
reform and therefore ordered reforms to be initiated. Be it known therefore
that the orders of Government will be carried cut and the policy of reform
recently initiated pursued without deviation.”
Oh Honourable Sir! It is clear from this that Your Honour has
understood from the petition that the people of Bahrain are opposed to
reforms and are desirous of a state of savagery. Oh Sir, we are civilised,
not wild people. We ourselves strive for reforms and are for long past
a civilised people, but we do not accept that such a thing should be mis
named. Is it possible for anyone to speak of what has happened and is hap
pening in Bahrain as Reforms? (sic). Is it ‘reforms’ to dismiss the Amir of
the Town from his duties against the wishes of the people and his own wish,
without ‘ Shara ’ grounds therefor, and is it reforms to deport people and
imprison and fine them by thousands and tens of thousands, without^ tiial.
Is it ‘ reforms ’ to change Manameh into a foreign town? Is it ‘ reforms ’
for Major Daly himself to act like a Qadhi, as if he were the Miaia anc
the Qadhi or is it reforms like the matter of the killing of the Bastaki on
the charge of stealing a ring ? Is it ‘ reforms ’ to abuse noble people in
Court , Is it reform to close all the courts and open only one court m a
nlace like Bahrain and to make all cases be opened by petitions which
take a long time so that if a case be criminal or urgent, such cases aie
dealt wit?only* 1 twice in each week? Is it ‘reforms’ to put the revenues of
the country into an English bank, without tahng the opinion of the p^
when the revenues come out o their pockets? ^ cent P u r y
an<T which 6 ktojor fly has commfed. ^^0- = ‘Ypt
another person^ hou^n ^ tlm people, ^
(reform)? indeea reiorms ““,7 “^ent and he it is who stoos those
^Municipality, .which is a public
affair, Major Daly handed over to Foreigners w,