Page 142 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

132 Records oj Bahrain

Translation of a letter from tho Chief of Bahroin, to tho Political Resident in tho Persian Gulf
dalod tho 29th Zilliaj 1310 (10th May 1899).
After compliments.—I lmvo already written to you about (Mr.) Zwomcr,
the American book-sollor, that bo intorforcs in roligious matters and opouly
ridicules tho Muhammadan religion in Bahroiu. Lt is feared that a strong^
seeing tho roligion thu9 reviled may injuro him. Although ho is a subject of
anothor foreign Govommout, you had ordered tho ltosidcncy Agout, Bahrein,
to ask him to desist from interfering in roligious matters, and to tako tho
■propor course and nttond to his business (book-soiling) in tho snmo way as
other British subjools. Tho Agent did spoak to him, and gave him tho noccs-
Bary- advice, but ho paid no attention to it. Thin year ho has been doing more
than what he was doing boforo, and my subjects havo submitted to me several
petitions, tho last of which is herewith oucloscd. I trust you will pay atten­
tion to this mattor, as, if anything happons to him, it will mean troublo to mo.

Petition from inhabilantg of Bahroin, to Sheikh Isa, Chief of Bahroiu, dated tho 28th
Zilliaj 1310 (9th May 1899).
Several petitions havo already been submitted to you before now by the
inhabitants of Bahrein, complaining against (Mr.) Zwcmor, tho American
book-seller. For tho last four years ho has boon doing things which neither
you nor tho residents of Bahrein approvo, viz., ho has been openly intorfpring
in religious matters, and denouncing our Prophet Muhammad. You then
provonted him and ho loft Bahroiu, but tho porson whom ho loft behind in his .
place reviled the roligion before tho Ulamas and tho public more than even ^
(Mr.)'Zwemer did. llo has now returned to Bahreini Wo submitted a peti­
tion last year, but ho has not been asked to relinquish tho course ho adopts.
If it had not been for the fear_of _Govornmcnt, jomothing wrong_ wouliL-bavo
befallen him. Tho ShoikllTlvilPincur responsibility, if,‘"on account of his
gpenly'reviling the religion, some strangers, who might not have patience to
> Bear" their roligion ridiculed, should kill him without tho knowledge of tho
Government or of ourselves. We therefore request you to relioyo_us from_^_^
him, and deport him from Bahrein. r ' " >

Seals of Muhammad-bin-Abdul Hahman-el-Zakaiii
and 17 others.

It has come to my knowledge that (Mr.) Zwemcr, the American, has
selected the place Simsar for selling books in Bahroin. Ho has been heard to
'spdak^'fo'^eOpIo running down the Muhammadan religion, and ho has stated
^ * that its founder was a liar. I summoned him before me and advised him not
to speak against the religion and tho Prophet, but he seems to have disregarded
the advice, as he has continued to ridicule all the religions except that of Jesus
Christ, and to say that all tho Prophets except Christ wore not faultless.- Ho
\, proachos with great force and in assemblies.that tho Muhammadan roligion is \ *
y false and wrong. When the NejtTpeO'jplG, who were In Bahroin, hoard what Xj
(Mr.) Zwoxnpr was saying, they became excited and wanted to kill him. On /
hearing this, I had them threatened in .the name'of Sheikh Isa and told them,
that the matter regarding (Mr.) Zwomer and tho Muhammadans and their
religion is referrable to the Sheikh. .1 have been hearing for along time
what (Mr.) Zwomer has boon doing oponly as related above.
Seal of Kasim-bin-Meuza, Kazi of Bahroin.
2