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was so successful that it was estimated to have paralysed ninety per cent of

Bahrain. 256

The HEC issued a pamphlet that congratulated the public on the strike’s

success, informing them to report ‘without delay’ any incident to the Party’s First

Aid Scout members. This was the first mention in HEC statements of a Scouts’

movement in their organisation acting in a security role. 257 During the strike the

Bahraini Government issued an order forcing the closure of Al-Qafilah on 5

December and the newspaper’s last issue was dated 26 November. 258

The Times of London reported the strike on 6 December. No further details

on the strike were given, other than it was in support of demands some of which had

already been met by the Bahraini Government. 259 The strike ended on 10 December

and no major disturbances were reported. On the following day, the Ruler

publically announced the establishment of a Commission consisting of six men to

examine educational, health, judiciary, and local security facilities: three were to be

members of the royal family together with a Shi’ite, a merchant (probably Sunni),

and the British Director of Customs. Although Burrows considered the

announcement to be ‘satisfactory’ he wished to see a wider variety of people chosen

from more diverse backgrounds. 260 The six appointed members were: Sheikh

Abdulla bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Sheikh Mubarak bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, Sheikh Ebrahim

bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa, Salim Al-Arrayed, Ahmed Fakhroo, and GWR Smith. The

256 TNA, FO 371/109813, Wall to FO on the Effectiveness of the Strike, 4 December 1954; and TNA,
FO 371/109813, Higher Executive Committee, Proclamation No. 9, 4 December 1954.
257 TNA, FO 371/109813, The Higher Executive Committee, Proclamation No. 9, 4 December 1954.
258 S.A. Al-Maawda, Al-Sahaafah Al-Bahrainiyah Tarikh wa Atta’a [Bahrain’s Press, a History and
Contribution], 85, hereafter Bahrain’s Press.
259 ‘Bahrein Strike Movement’, The Times, 6 December 1954, 7.
260 TNA, FO 371/109813, Burrows to FO Burrows, 11 December 1954.

© Hamad E. Abdulla 84