"ملف ٢٠/٨: شؤون دولة مسقط: احتجاج العمانيين" [و‎‎١‎٧‎١] (٦٣٤/٣٤١)

8
iu« to two main oausoa
(i) Intense l^noranoo anl the paramount Influonce for th#
time bolng of tne Mullahs,
(d) Overconfllonoo and bad mana^emauit on tne part ef Isa*
To this I would add a third
(3) Belief on the part of the more powerful and inteilige^
Omanis that we are only supporting the Sultan in a
halfhearted manner as we have continually stop, ed him
from imposing restrictions on them arid nave openly
admitted his bad government. Therefore they can do as
they like confident that we will not only not inter-
-fere ourselves but will stop tne Sultan from doing a
so.
The open refusal of Sheikh Isa and of JfcH
tne opinion ef the majority of tne country brings another and
important point, that the rule of pure religion ie short* It i-
is personal and selfish and based en no consideration ef public
policy, and in Moslem countries at least the more powerful the
religious leaders become the more intolerant does their rule
become and t.e more do they alienate the people who see them
selves suffering because of their unyielding attitude. The
brief rule of AZZAN bin QXIS in Muscat is a remarkable
example of this in Onan itself.
Sheikh Isa himself is playing a double game.
Should we take no action, well he has obeyed the Imam. Should
we take action, well he did Ms best for us and he hope# te
get somet/iing out of us. Again in the inevitable reaction
against the Imam if the Omanis find themselves getting an
unfortunate time he will stand eut as the wise councillor.
The situation from the point of view ef the
Omanis is "What is the British Oevernment going to de 1* Should
we show a strong hand at ence they will speedily come to reason
Se far they have had rather too much of the fair field and
(T