Page 96 - Records of Bahrain (5) (i)_Neat

04 Records of Bahrain

GOVERNMENT OF BAHRAIN.

hammed bin Iaa, who claims the whole district of Berber, sold n largo
gcc of land to Kozalbi which included most of the gardens on the edge
the village v/hich belong to the Bahama of Berbor and on which they
pend for n living. They filed n ca30 in the court and tho sale has
t yet been registered. An offer of compensation wno made by Koznibi
ovided that Shaikh Mohammed paid something too but no agreement v/ns
rived nt.
del Aziz bln Hnjnr of I3urri.
The head man of Durri, a large villago near Aali, n member of
c Shi a Wakf Commit too, n respectable and influential man. The people
Durri complain moot about damage from camels.
1 uin Abbas of Aali.
The leader of one of the two factions v/hich exist in Aali, a
irong supporter of Shaikh Khalnf.
issoliv al Mndhoob of Blind Al Qn tim.
Tho head man of the village of Bilad, a landowner and a
>nnarntively v/enlthy man. The people of Bilad complain that Shaikh
mlifah oin Sulman has filled hie gar lens with HaooaY/iB who are a danger
> the place. It is thought by them that the recent attack on the
Jlghbouring village or ZlnJ was made by some of these people, this io
.kely but there was no evidence.
The petition io reasonable and worded in a moderate manner, it
'ks tnat the Bahrain Court should adopt a code, that the reprooentativos
i the Bahama on the Municipal Councils and l.eglis Tojnrn should be
icrenoed and that the Bahama should have oquol rights to education as
ic Sunni Arabs. The only dangerous suggestion is the mention of
lat appears to be proportionate representation on the councils, this is
ic first time that tain idea has been introduced in Bahrain. The
quont for a code is certainly tho direct result of certain Judgments
do during this summer not in all casco against Shlas but in some cases
ainct Arabs. There has been no recording of evidence and frequently
0 court has refuse.; to call v/itnorscc who have boon aoke i for by
rties in cases. In the case of Ali sin Basse in the accused was not
lowed to make any statement or to produce any documents. I enclose a
py of the case as an example of the method of recording evidence etc.
en Abdu Ali Alcwnt was removed from the Municipal Council his place
s not fillcu so there were only three Bahama members and four Persians,
these grounds the Bahama complain that foreigners have more
presentstives on the council than the Bahama. "The nufaber of Bahama
the Leglls Tujnra is 3 out of SB members, but actually there arc
ry few Bahama who could rightly be described as lending merchants,
a community they are mostly cultivators of land, small shopkeepers
a nauidiudas. Regarding Education, when the Manama school was built
1 v:- s intended to be :a G.iia school and tiie Bahama contributed tov/ards
|e cost of the ouilding. There wno a Shin Education Council and also
* that time a Sunni Council but. owing to the incessant quarrels among
e members of tho Shi a council and their refusal to allow ony control
the Government the councils were dispensed with, Shaikh Abdulin was 1
Pointed as Minister of Education and the two schools were combined,
c present school, and oil other schools, are open to Sunnis and Shias, '
ere are a small number of Shias attending the Manama school now and
ere are two Shia teachers, the school at Suk al Khamis is entirely Shia.
Shaikh Homed on r^.ceiving the petition told the petitioners
hat he would consider the raottor and reply to them. During the Eid I
ccusced the matter with various people including the Sunni and Shia
dio. All people, both Sunni and Shia, were in favour of the adoption
a code, the Shin Kadis unreservedly oo but the Sunni Kadis explained .
at the code should not affect cases requiring a Shera Judgment and '
rtain cases concerning women. Letters wore written to all the Kadis
king their views on the question of a code, their replies are
closed.
Owing to the Accession Eid and various other things there was
iao delay in sending a reply to the petitioners, they called on Shaikh •