Page 85 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

Unrest among Baharinah of Manama 73

BRITISH RESIDENCY,
CONFIDENTIAL BAHRAIN.
Juno 2nd, 1951#
No. 75
(10118/5)
r

li:*"'
Sir,
I havo tho honour to roport that for the last two or three
inontha trouble has boon simmering amongst the Baharinah of
.*• •
airojvfev Manamah. The Baharinah/aro tho indigenous population of tho
islands und are Arabic speaking Shiahs. They aro cultivators
l«^Y<\ni3
of tho date gardens and most of tho vlllagos aro occupied by
them exclusively. In Manamah thoy form about 4($ of tho
population, but there aro practically none in Muharraq. In tho
past thoro has at times boon a certain amount of trouble between
tho Sunnis and tho Shiahs in tho islands, especially during tho
Muharram celebrations, but nothing sorlou3 has occurred during
recent yoars.
2. Last year for tho first time elections wore hold for tho
Manamah Municipal Committee. Tho Baharinah only obtained five
soats out of the twelvo which wore fillod by tho election
ulthough their numbers entitled thorn to more. I am informed
that tlrio was partly because their of forts at electioneering
woro very poor compared with thoso of thojSunnis, About throe
months ago tho question was raisod in the*Committee whether
compensation should bo paid for a 3hop which had been domolisliod
for stroot widening purposes. The shop was Sunni Waqf proporty
and it was at first unanimously decided that no compensation
should bo paid. Tho quostion wasjagain brought up ontiroly
irregularly by a Sunni member of Jtho Committee and it was again
docidod that no compensation should be paid, the Sunni member
who raisod tho matter being tho sole dissontant. Shortly after,
the quostion was brought up for tho third time, when all tho
Sunnis and foreigners on tho Committee voted in favour of the
payment of Rs. 1400/- as compensation. On this tho five Balirani
members walked out. personal efforts by tho Ruler and Mr Bolgrave
have l’ailod to persuado thorn to talco any further part in tho
Committee's work and they are demanding immediate fresh elections.
Tho Buhruln Government refuse to agroo to these elections being
hold until thoy become due next yoar, but have promised in tho
meanwhile to revise tho boundarios of the constituoncios so that
tho Baharinah will got thoir fair uhuro of representation, This,
howovor, has had no effect.
5. Tho Baharinah have soized the opportunity to air other
grievances, tho moot important of which relates to the moat,
vogotublo and fish murkets at Bahrain. Tho first two of those
aro tho personal property of tho Rulor and tho third of his
brothor Shaikh Da'ij. Tho Rulor und Ills brothor havo incurred
con3ldorablo expenditure on tho construction and maintenance
of those markets, but tho ronts chargod are high whilo prices
remain controllod and tho sale of tho commodities concerned is
forbiddon outsido tho markets. Shaikh Da'ij, for instance is
now rocovorlng Rs.20,000 a yoar on tho market U3 against Rs.12,00
a few yoars ago. Tho persons who soil thoir goods in tho
vogotablo and fish markets are almost exclusively , Baharinah.

/ They
His Majesty's principal Socrotary
of State for poroign Affairs,
Foreign Offico,
London, 3.W.I.