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Bahrain’s newspaper Al-Qafilah expressed its support for Mosaddegh

following his removal from power in an article entitled ‘Iran Lost Mosaddegh’. 136

The newspaper, in the same edition, also attacked an unnamed British doctor who

had named his dog in a derogatory sense after ‘the savior of Iran’, Mosaddegh as Al-

Qafilah noted. The report was designed to inflame public opinion against the

British. 137

Consequently by the coming of the anniversary of the Shi’ite festival in

September 1953, emotions were running high on both the local and regional levels.

It was only a matter of time before a clash was bound to take place and the

opportunity presented itself in Muharram. Though the first day of the festival

passed without any cited trouble, the second day on 20 September proved

catastrophic. According to Bahrain’s Government Annual Report for 1953 a

procession of Bahraini Shi’ites was marching down Belgrave Road in Manama in

close proximity to the British Political Agency. 138 The procession was headed in the

direction it was agreed upon with the local authorities and under police protection.

Suddenly a dispute erupted between two men who claimed to lead a specific group

amongst the procession. Some of the onlookers who were Sunni jumped into the

argument. It did not take long before a fight broke out between the Sunnis and

Shi’ites as the spectators clashed with the procession. Fighting developed more

aggressively and stones, wood, and bottles were thrown; people from their own

136 A. Bahlol, ‘Iran Khasirat Mosaddegh’ [Iran Lost Mosaddegh], Al-Qafilah, 4 September 1953, 3.
137 ‘Qilat Adab!’ [Lack of Manners!], Al-Qafilah, 4 September 1953, 1.
138 Belgrave Road was located in the heart of old Manama City and is known today as Sheikh Isa Al-
Kabir [Sheikh Isa the Great] Road. It lies in close proximity to the British Embassy and the American
Mission Hospital.

© Hamad E. Abdulla 43