"ملف 9/4 إصلاحات البحرين. تطبيق الإصلاحات في البحرين" [و‎‎٦‎٨] (٢٢٤/١٥٢)

L etter from the HW ble L ietjtenant- C olonel A. P. T revor, C.8.I.,
C.I.E., P olitical R esident in the P ersian G ulf, N o. 89-S., dated
B ushire, the 2 nd (received 11 th) F ebruary 1924 (C onpidential).
S ubject.— Sunni and Shiah troubles in Bahrein.
In continuation and in amplification of my telegram No. 166, dated
SOth January 1924, I have the honour to submit, for the information of the
GoTernment of India, the followiiig report on the recent outrage by Sunni
tribesmen, at the instigation of members of the A1 Khalifa family, against the
Shiah Baharnah population at Sitrah.
2. In my letter No. 56-S., dated 17th January, T reported the matter up
to the time when Sheikh Hamad returned to Bahrein, declared he would do
■whatever Government ordered, and arrested three or four men who were not
the ringleaders in the outrage. As mentioned in my telegram No. 88, dated
15th January, I had been waiting for an opportunity to go to Bahrein since
the iSth January, but for various reasons connected in the main with the
lighting and buoying arrangements which it is unnecessary to detail, the
" Lawrence" was not available. However, directly after the receipt of
Government of India telegram, No. 195, dated 21st January, I telegraphed
to the Comrrander of H. M. S. <£ Crocus ", the only one of His Majesty's
ships in the Gulf at the moment, and he kindly consented to take me over.
3. I arrived at Bahrein about midday of the 25th January, and I landed
and went to the Agency to devise some arrangement by which Sheikh Hamad,
who was naturally very nervous of running contrary to the views of the entire
Khalifa family, could be brought up to the scratch. This was duly arranged
and it was decided to call Sheikh Hamad, who had gone to his country house
at Saghair, to visit me at the Agency at 10 a. m . on 26th January and bring
his uncle, Sheikh Khalid, who was living at Rifa, a few miles from Saghair,
with him. This was done.
4. The next morning the news of my arrival having been noised abroad
among the Baharnah, the latter began dropping into the Agency by twos and
threes from an early hour. By 9 o'clock the whole place, inner courtyar-
inside the house, compound and every available open space withm sight was
swarming with Baharnah who all started shouting "Justice and other words
to the same effect— shouting perhaps is too strong a word : groaning or
moaning the words might be more suitable. Sheikh Hamad did not arrive
till about 11 owing partly to difficulty m getting Sheikh Ahahd to come a
partly to the bad state of the road due to extraordinarily heavy rams which
have fallen this cold weather over the North-Western end of the G^fT v
groaning and moaning of the Baharnah went on continuously till Sheikh
Hamad's arrival and at very frequent intervals after ^ ^
after Sheikh Hamad's departure, when the Baharnah were with diliicuity
persuaded to leave the A gency. They had evidently de ? lded to have a day out
and most of the shops were closed while the demonstration was gomg om It
may be mentioned here that the result of the support which we have given to
the Baharnah during
Ltrhav» afew yea. ago than fly over the .oon
5, Sheikh Hamad, as mentioned ahovc, arrived about ^
Agent and I had a ^^hy^ntervi^w wi ™' the a£Eair an( j assum i n g a
had been sent specially by ^Tn4ntions of Government in regard to
mysterious air on the subject oi the i^ten , Hamad who agreed that
the ease we were able to^horoi^Wy frig ^ ^ ri leader8 who had
he would try the men he had a ™® illflict gevere and deterrent
absconded m absenha, a ^^ n lf Ibrahit f an d the other son of Sheikh
punishments. In regard to Sheikh lb a • . OY .|. /xvLinh except for the
Khalid, he agreed to inflict a their allowances would be
confiscation of their property and the resu p