Page 365 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

363

1928

about it. It is really a scandalous business. The two Khaleds, near relations of the Shaikh, got annoyed with their
Baharnas, tenants who didnt pay rents for their gardens at Sitra. In order to make them pay they attacked a village in
Sitra, killed several people & bolted to the mainland. They were banished & their estates confiscated. This annoyed
them. They returned one night & attacked another village at Sitra & shot nine people. Thirty four witnesses saw them
do it. They got away again. The Shaikh was in Persia, hunting, & was recalled. He tried the murderers, servants &
slaves of the Khaled Shaikh, & the two Shaikhs themselves were tried although not present & sentenced to banishment
or death if they came back. The others, retainers of the Shaikh, got terms of imprisonment. Lately the two Khaleds
have been worrying him from the mainland & the Shaikh says that because they have been having such an
uncomfortable time & are living on dates in a grass hut the judgment should be reversed & they should be allowed to
return. Barrett, to my mind very weakly & unwisely, has agreed that there should be a new trial before the four Kadis.
The Shaikh is delighted & says he hasn't ever been so pleased so his murdering relations are to be allowed to return &
to be tried again, in the meantime he is trying to persuade the relations of the murdered people to deny their evidence
so that there need not be any trial at all. There is not the least doubt that they were guilty & in my opinion it is a most
scandalous affair.

Tennis at the Mission, the three geologists brought out by Holmes for the oil were present, very American.
Parkes came round after tennis & I told him about the Khalid case, he agrees that it is very wrong of B to let the Shaikh
cancel his own judgment. Dinner at Mespers, de G & the new man who is to relieve Spence, Straker, were there.
Bridge.

Tuesday 31st [January]

Biladya meeting. Several people made strong speeches against the cinema - on religious grounds & the Kadis sent
letters of protest. The Shaikh defended it & the Meglis seemed very surprised at his attitude. He used to go to them in
England & liked them very much. Showed them the plan of road to Muharrak. One or two of them seemed to
understand it. Quite a good meeting. Ahmed bin Khamis came to see me afterwards. Went over to the Agency &
d
discussed the question of Dawasir divers which has come up again. Moh b. Ibrahaim Zayani called. Went to Idari for
a walk beyond the spring. There is a big area which used to be covered by date gardens & the sea came in & ruined
them. Fahad al Barsam came round after tea, I tried to get some information from him about the Persian school which
is very political & said to be subsidised by Persian Govt but he wouldnt talk.

Went to garden on the way back & met Holmes, the Dr and Armstrong. Cold day & I've got rather a cold.
The mail was due on Saturday & now its not sure if she will even come tomorrow - absurd being so late & very
annoying.

Wednesday 1st [February]

Went along to the Joint Court to see the Shaikh, then to the Customs to see de Grenier and afterwards called on
Mohamed Sherif & had a long talk to him about the Persian question, he, though a Persian, is anti Persian being of the
Sunni sect. He was very interesting but didnt tell me much of interest. He said that the school here was more political
than educational & the centre of Persian propaganda in Bahrain.

Tennis & Bridge at Mespers in the afternoon before which we went to the garden.