Page 104 - Records of Bahrain (5) (i)_Neat

92 Records of Bahrain

Confidential*
No;C/112-1.b/5. Political Agency,
Bahrain, the 10th February 1936.

From:-
Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon Loch, I.A.,
Political Agent,
Bahrain.
Tos-
The Honourable the Political Resident
in the Persian Gulf,
Bushire.
Bahrain - Baharlnah Trouble 1934/1935*

Sir,
I have the honour to inform you that there has been some
1. Petition dated the 30th December 1934 of eight trouble with the
Baharinah to His Excellency Shaikh Sir Hamad
bin *Isa A1 Khalifah. Baharinah and to
2. Reply dated the 29th January 1935 from His
Excellency Shaikh Sir Hamad bin »Isa A1 enclose a wpy of
Khalifah to the Petitioners.
3. Political Agent*s address on the 1st February the marginally
• 1935 to the Baharinah Petitioners*
i noted documents
on the subject.

2. As you know, the Baharinah, who are Shi*ahs, inhabited

Bahrain before the coming of the A1 Khalifah, who are Sunnis. The
A1 Khalifah and Arab portion of the population look down on the
Baharinah (y/ho form perhaps two-thirds of the population) and have
at times in the past definitely oppressed them, Since the abdioa-
tion of the late Shaikh Sir »Isa bin 'Ali A1 Khalifah their position

has been much improved ov/ing to our influence and the tolerance of
His Excellency Shaikh Sir Hamad bln T Isa A1 Khalifah.

3. The ill-feeling between the Baharinah and the A1 Khalifah
has, however, again beconie acute owing to a series of incidents in

the past year; the conversion of one of the A1 Khalifah to the
/Shi*ah

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