Page 214 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

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204 Records of Bahrain

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'll, Titojniin responsible for this gntbrnak. T nm oonvinenri. ip R|inikh AH
bin AhmSir^ Xou aro aware that Ui» tathor until hia death unoffloiatly Bhared
’tvtill SmSikh Ian in tho Qovorniuont of tko Islands. Ho lived in the largo
liou60 on tlio eoa shore in Mannmah city whioh is still rooognisod as V Govorn-
mout II0U60 " and ocoupios tho whole of ouo sido of tho opou squaro in whioh
tho Saluting Qua lies, and oloso to tho Customs oflloo and gonoral landing
Btngo. This houso is now tho pronorfcy of fljifljidi Ali-mlintook groat offonoo at
8hcikh Isa’s anpoiptyng bja-B^q Bjpiikh_JIftrpQd to suoocod to his /alhor's^pflin’
tioiTinsteaa of himsolfT To consolo himsolt'fbr tho slight whioh ho oonsidorod
put upon him, 8hcikh Ali has formed around his porson a bodyguard of big
mon, mostly Nogro9 who aro a terror to all quiotly disposod rosidonts in tho
Bazaar and whom I boliovo no man in tho Chief's outourago dares touch,
Noarlv all tho moil who aro Implicated in thn Bahnann affair jiftyg now also
taken part Jn tinmore.rfloont onso. It may bo that Shoikh Isa is untnlling-
to 8l!Tj^lnrfffnuI7'di^nity injured"’through tho punishmont ovon of a nephow
who is disloyal to himsolf, but I firmly boliovo now that my prodocossor
Hr. Gaskin’s viow is also correct that tho Ohipf nnt attnn\pf- IP rimming
Q^tlLQ4^y"QvprAli Tho faotThatrSlioikh Ali is disloyal at any rato in
thought to his undo is proved by his saying to mo, whou ho oallod at tho
Agency to wolcomo my arrival, that if ho had tho sharo in tho Govornmont
which his father had held ho would ho happy to uqp hifl influonoo towards tho
proper rflformatiojwif tho Customs Administration.
12. I now havo to make tho following rocommondations. In tho absonoo
of a British gunboat it is cortain that no punitivo moasurcs will bo submittod
to by Shoikh All and his gang, oithcr iu tho Wonokhaus caso or tho present
ouo. I liopo that as quickly as possiblo a gunboat may bo sont hero, and, if
possible, ullowcd to remain here during tho month of llamzan, ns I arn not too
confidont that oven tho Hindu community will bo safo much longor.
13. I think that on tho arrival of tho man-of-war, Shoikh Ali should bo
summond on board with all his male sorvants. Mr. Bahnson might bo invitod
on board and asked to identify tho mon who woro ooncornod in tho assault ou
himsolf. All such, who may bo known to linvo takou part also in tho lator
affair, should bo soundly floggod on board, then sont to Mohnrrng for ono year’s
imprisonmont, and then oxpollcd from tho Islands in tho ovent of soourity for
good behaviours not boiug forthcoming. I think suoh action on our part as
this is justified by tho Chiof’s weakness and activoly wrongful attitude.
14. Sheikh Ali should bo banished from Bahroin, and proforably made to
rcsido at Aden, for at least ten years. His brothors oan administer his properties
and remit him tho proooods. Tho old “ Govornmont Houso” should howover
bo mado ovor at a valuation to tho Chiof for tho uso of his sou Shoikh Hamad.
15. Finally, Sheikh Iso, I think, should bo told emphatically that no disputos
botweon Shiahs and 8unnis aro honooforth to bo reforred to tho Sharn Court,
any moro than disputes botwoen Hindus and Mahommedans aro. Tho Shiahs,
who aro mostly Persians, in tho absonco of tho 8hah’s Consular representatives
naturally look to us for protection, and as tho British Govornmont aro interested
in the wolfaroof all classes in Bahrein, thoy oaunot viow with equanimity tho
injustice ovon of making Bahroin Shiahs (who aro all Persian by origin) submit
to the jurisdiction of a religious Court othor than tboir own. All suoh oases
should be adjudicated upon by tho Chiof himsolf or by an impartial Mojlis.

Dated 15th Novembor 1904.
From—Dr. S. J. TnoKS, M.D., Surgoon ».o tho Arabian Mission and tho British
Assistant Political Agency, Bahrein,
To—Captain F. B. Prideacx, Assistant Politioal Agont, Bahroin.
I’ saw nino of tho wounded Porsians you asked mo to soo and found two of
them in a griifcaj oondition from thoir wounds. Somo of tho othore woro badly
bruised and out; but not sufficiently to ondangor lifo.
Mahomed bin Itallii has four very bad eoalp wounds and his baok is ono
mass of bruises. lie bad beon having fover for somo days boforo bo was
wounded whioh makos his condition much moro oritioal.

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