Page 32 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

18 Records of Bahrain

pESPATCH No, II.M,POLITICAL AGENCY,
17B005/6/53« BAHRAIN,
PATRIOT ED. October 6, 1963,

Sir,
I havo the honour to subnit a report on the
disturbances that occurred in Bahrain on Sunday and

Monday, September 20th and 21st, on the oooasion of
the celebration of the "’Ashura" or Tenth of Muharraa
by the Shiite community.
2* The sources for this report are the eye-witness
accounts of the Assistant Political Agent and
Mr,Wallaoe, of the Agency Staff, who saw some of the

street-fighting on Sunday morning) observations made
by the Assistant Political Agent and myself later on
Sunday and on Monday) and information supplied orally
by the Adviser, the Chief of Polloe, the Ruler and

8haikh Abdullah bln Esa, The Bahrain Government intend
to make a formal inquiry into the affair, and I shell
no doubt reoeive a report from the Adviser when it is
complete.
3, Although it might bo taken as a matter of oourae

that, given the roughly equal division of the population
into Sunnite and Shiite, tho public parade of what the
8unnltQa hold to be abomlnablo heresies, would lead to
\
disturbances, there has, I understand, been very little

trouble in the twenty years or so during whloh Muharrem
processions have taken place on this scale and with this
elaboration of pagentry, breast-beating and flagellation,
/I ...
His Excellency Mr,B,A,B.Burrows C,U,G,t
Her Majesty's Political Resident
in the Persian Gulf,