Page 37 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

Disturbances and strikes, 1953-1954 23

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families In Manama from tho expected Sunnite attack.

This immediately wont round among the Suiinitea as a
report that Seyod Mohmood, the Government Accounts
Offioor and senior Shiite Civil Servant, had called for

a General Strike, No Shiites attended work' either at
the Bahrain Petroleum Company or at the Government
offices end installations.
12. About 10 o’clock a report reachod me that fighting
had broken out in tho bazaar. Accompanied by the

Assistant Political Agent, the Munohi, and a Sunnite .and
a Shiite volunteer from jny staff 1 went to see, and, of
course, found nothing of the sort. The bazaar was shut
and there was an nlr of uneasiness among the Sunnites

standing about in the streets, The police were out in
force reinforced by armed flaturg and by a squad of
f
mounted police, I drove slowly through the bazaar and
into the Shiite quarter where I found the bulk of the

Shiites concentrated, They loudly cheered the flafc.
I hoard from a membor of BAPCO whom I met in the' bazaar
that the Sunnite workers at Awali had struck work and

were demanding transport of the Company to bring them
down to Manama to Join infra fight which they believed to
be going on there. I informed the Chief of Police,
through Inspector Abdul Karim who was in the bazaar
with a Jeep equipped with wireless, and then went to the

Police Fort where I saw the Chief of Police, Khalifah bi
Mohamad.
13. \ The task of the pollco had at this stage become
clearer? it was simply to stjop mobs of 8unn*p, exoitei

by rumours, from streaming into Manama from Muhafcraq
and Awali. Khalifah had disposed hia forces In thre
/parqele •«*