Page 205 - Records of Bahrain (4) (i)_Neat

Reaction to the reforms, 1923 193

10
As regards your saying “ tho reforms will certainly bo carried out ” we do
notacccj)t tnis and will not accept it and do not think that if you know the
truth you would insist on it. We will strive lor our honour and our country
and religion in every permissible way. Should however the fire of com­
pulsion descend upon us, will we leave our country ? Yes, indeed we will 1
Wo will leavo and cross over to other countries and thousands will leave
in a lew days so that they need not sco a person who follows his own
wishes like Major Daly. Indeed this is a sorrowful result and many of the
Arab sections arc of this opinion, but what can be done? If the ' Shara *
is stopped and tho Government overthrown, honour besmirched and the
voice not heard? Such reforms it is said Bahrain is in need of 1 Yes,
there were certain faults in the Government, but the public was trying to
reform them and the Government was prepared to accept reforms, and the
proof of that is the countless petitions sent to Shaikh Isa one after the
other, but the Consul himself frustrated them and everybody knows that
for tho past two years people demanded a parliament and Shaikh Isa
agreed, and who opposed it? Oh Honourable Colonel! the Shiahs in
Bahrain are few, but the Agency clerks write petitions for them pradsing
Daly and they write out of fear and others for personal gain. Is this re­
forms, justice or order? And orders arc written in Shaikh Hamad’s name :
he admits that he is compelled by Major Daly to do such things. We take
advantage of this opportunity to send you the decisions of the conference
which sat at Bahrain on 15th Rabi-Al-Awwal, which we enclose herewith.
Signed by twelve Sunni pearling Nakhudas.

We, the undersigned, leaders of Tribes, (Jlaima and Traders (state)
In view of the state of affairs in our country and our honour and our
rights, we arc resolved that the Great Government is just and will not
agree to the besmirching of the honour of Muslims and will not approve
of what Major Daly is doing to cause ill-feeling between *us and the High
Government and to break the good relations between us, and that she will
uphold right, if demanded of her and therefore we publish our requests
which arc as follows, and request inquiry into our claims. We agreed to
strive for the following objects which is our only chance of living in our
Mother Country or retaining honour.
1. Our Shaikh Isa to remain the Ruler as regards all internal
affairs as in the past without any interference from the Consul and in
accordance with the good relations between us and the British Government.
If he should, of his own free will, appoint Hamad as his Agent we will
accept him.
2. All court eases to be sent to the Shar’a or Urfi, which is in accord­
ance. with the Shar’a.
3. A National Parliament to be started to look after the interests of
the people as in other countries.
4. A court of four acceptable persons skilled in Diving affairs to decide
all diving eases.
5. The Consul to be forbidden to break the good relations existing
between Great Britain and the Bahrain Government, or to interfere in
internal matters.
6. We have selected twelve persons to represent us,viz.
(Here follow the names of the signatories to
the main petition who were self-elected.)
Enclosure 3.
Answer to sUjnaloritis of petition'fanning enclosure 2, read out to ‘petitioners
■in Arabic in presence of Shaikhs Hamad and Abdulla and of the
Political Agent.
You have recently presented a position to me which at first I thought
it unnecessary to answer, firstly because you have already received an