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Sir  Charles’s  system  of  one  man  administration  in  which  he  has
                          concentrated  everything  of  importance  into  his  own  hands,  even  to
                          the  extent  of  signing  cheques  for  10  rupees,  is  daily  showing  its
                          inadequacy  to  contend  with  the  increasing  number  and  widening
                          scope of the problems which now affect Bahrain.   381

                   To the Political Agent the situation in Bahrain seemed complex and difficult to

                   manage and it had become an ‘intractable problem’.   382


                          Division in Bahrain’s society was apparent as not all locals were in favour of

                   all the HEC’s demands.  A petition dated 5 September was despatched to the Ruler


                   signed by prominent Bahraini Shi’ite families. 383   Another petition, also sent to the

                   Ruler, represented the views of various leading Sunnis in Bahrain emphasising their


                   opposition of the HEC.  This petition claimed (in part) that the HEC’s constant

                   threats in its circulars had caused ‘a state of panic and fear’. 384


                          In his memoir Al-Bakir highlighted the Party’s loss of popularity among its

                   supporters noting that some had abandoned the HEC by the end of 1955 and in


                   early 1956.  In his view the biggest number of dissidents was to be found among the

                   Shi’ite community.  The HEC’s Secretary did not offer his views as to why those


                   supporters decided to leave except to say that they had complained about the

                   actions of some of the Party’s members.  385   The exodus could have been related to


                   the deserters’ disappointment in the Movement as a result of their initial

                   understanding that the HEC would defend Shi’ite ‘Hussieni rituals’, 386  and not just as





                   381  TNA, FO 371/114587, Burrows to FO, 5 September 1955.
                   382  TNA, FO 371/114587, Gault to FO, 13 September 1955.
                   383  TNA, FO 1016/387, Petition to the Ruler of Bahrain, 5 September 1955.
                   384  TNA, FO 1016/387, Petition to the Ruler of Bahrain, 7 September 1955.
                   385  Al-Bakir, From Bahrain to Exile, 106.
                   386  Husseini Rituals: is another name used to describe the rituals that accompany Shi’ite festivals
                   especially those practiced during Muharram.



                   © Hamad E. Abdulla                       126
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