Page 71 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

Disturbances and strikes, 1953-1954 57

suspoct us of'imposing :l colonialisjn!l on Bahrain.

16. It is difficult to sco how the enmity
between the Sunnis and Shias in Bahrain can bo
brpught to an end. The normal evolution in
European countries v/ould bo for the difference to
become blurred and finally to disappear through
intermarriage, But this has up to now been
unknown between the two communities and owing to

"social as much as doctrinal differences is
unlikely for a considerable time to come. The
Middlo Eastern solution would be a tacit or
writton compact between the rival sections, as
occurred in Egypt, the Lebanon and Iraq, by which
each was guaranteed a pro-detormined share of
Government posts and administrative influence The

Bahrainis are not yet politically mature onough to
mako or oxecuto such an arrangement and an attempt
to apply some such system even to the Manama
municipality was not a success. The difficulty
has been aggravated by the fact that the Bahrain

Government has boon, and in the popular mind still
is, associated with one of the sections, but yet has
not dufficient force or authority to maintain order
in face of the exacerbation of communal feelings
existing here since the Muharram troubles last year.
It is the object of the reforms which the Bahrain
Government have announced on our advice to incroase
both the impartiality and the power of. the

/administration.

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