Page 50 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

36 Records of Bahrain

by a few agitators whose motives were patently
to secure power and profit for themselves, The
way to deal with the situation in his view was
to discourage inflammatory talk on the one hand
and, on the other, for the Government to act

promptly and firmly in dealing with all breaches
of the peace.
7. I said I, for my part, was not influenced
by what Shi*is said to me about the Government, but
I was somewhat perturbed about what they did -
they and the Sunnis - to each other, I would
certainly support every Tim action the Government
took to maintain law and order and suppress
communal strife.

8. Although His Highness did not accept my
proposal of a joint commission - and there is
force in some of his objections to it - I felt
the discussion was useful in that it impressed on
His Highness the fact that I am concerned about a
situation vhich, I believe, may become more
serious with the approach of Muharram. It is

well that His Highness should feel that we do not
entirely share his view that the Ai Khalifah Govern­
ment is perfect. It is naturally, from our point
of view, far preferable to the sort that would be
set up by the people now talking about "democracy11
if they were given the chance, and there is not the
/slightest

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