Page 130 - Records of Bahrain (4) (i)_Neat

118 Records of Bahrain

CONFIDENTIAL.

No. 323-S., dated Bushiro, tho 28tli Juno (received tho 7th July) 1923.
From—Tho Hon’dle Likutknani-Colonel S. G. Knox, C.S.I., C.I.E., Political
Resident in the Persian Gulf,
Suiwkct.—Attack on * Ali by Dowasir tribesmen.
In continuation of my telegram No. 051, dated 23rd June 1923, I have the
honour to enclose for the information of the Government of India a copy of a memo­
randum from the Political Agent, Bahrain, dated 10th Juno and of subsequent
telegrams which have passed between the Political Agent and myself, regarding
the attack on 'Ali by the Dowasir. This village, as the Government of India will
recollect, which is inhabited almost exclusively by Shiah Baharinah was attacked
during the recent disturbances, by the Dowasir of Budaiyah, a village of Sunni
Nejada. This affair—the one referred to by Major Daly in the opening sentences of
bia memorandum—should be settled according to Shara and, strictly speaking, by
a Sunni Qazi, the forum of the defendants ; but it will be difficult to get thc.Balmri- ^
nah to accept such a judgment.

List of accompaniments to letter No. 323-S., dated 2Sth June 1923, from the Hon'ble
the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Bushirc, to the Foreign Secretary to
the Government of India in the Foreign and Political Department>
1. Memorandum No. 80-C., dated 19th June 1923, from the Political Agent, Bahrain,
to Resident, Bushirc.
2. Bushirc telegram No. G19, dated 23rd June 1923, to Political, Bahrain.
3. Bahrain telegram No. 81-C., dated 23rd June 1923, to Resident, Bushirc.
4. Bahrain telegram No. 82-C., dated 24th Juno 1923, to Resident, Bushirc.
5. Bushirc telegram No. 057, dated 21th June 1923, to Political, Bahrain.

Memorandum No. 80-C., dated Bahrain, the 19th June 1923.
From—The Political Agent, Persian Gulf,
To—The llon’Llo the Political Resident, Bushirc.
Suhjkct.—Attack on 'Ali by Dowasir tribesmen.
licccntly there have been signs of fuiiltcr attempts of the Dowasir to seek
trouble with tho Baharinah. A fracas occurred at the Pearl Banks in which two
Dowasir boats dosed in on a boat manned by Baharinah and severely beat the
latter. There have also been some minor disturbances in the outside villages. This
recurrence of aggressiveness is doubtless due to the dilatorincss with which the
Shaikhs have been dealing with the matter of the ’Ali affair. They have admitted
that it is common knowledge that the Dowasir combined and openly attacked 'Ali
and Kasa A1 Dosari, one of the elders of the tribe and the most sensible of them, has
told Shaikh Hamad the whole story of how he endeavoured to restrain Ahmad Al
Dosari, and the others and succeeded in turning back the majority of the tribes­
men. This lias been confirmed from independent sources and by the Baharinah
themselves. Shaikh Ilamad has at length decided to take definite uction. It was
discovered that several persons from Budaiyah, including some of the personal
servants of the elders, had been wounded in the affair and were being kept concealed
at Budaiyah. Mcanwhilo Khamia Al Dosari had quite cheerfully sworn to Shaikh
Ilamad on the divorce of his wife, that nobody whatsoever in Budaiyah had been
mixed upmTKc afTair or had any knowledge of it. Shaikh Ilamad ordered the
wounded men, by name, to be produced. This the Dowasir have been unable to do
and have made very futile excuses. On the other hand the evidence of a man who
has been attending the wounded in secret is available, together with a considerable
amount of evidence on oath by villagers of ’Ali and other villages through which tho
Dowasir passed lo attack 'Ali. Yesterday, on receipt of the news of the further
fracas at the diving, Shaikh Hamad ordered the appearance of Ahmad Al Dosari
in Muhjarruq this morning and will order bis detention there pending settlement of