Page 280 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (I)_Neat

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were circulated that a moo of divers were coming over
from Muharraq to raid the bazaar and certain of the

Manama Shias closed their shops and persuaded their
neighbours to do the same, the leading Arab and foreign
merchants, seeing that most of the bazaar was closed,
shut up their places of business and went home.

On the next day none of the shops opened, including
the meat fish and vegetable markets. In the morning
Shaikh Hamad sent for Shaikh Abdulla, Shaikh Rashid,

myself and about half a dozen of the leading/Arabs
including Kanoo, Zayani and Yousuf Fakhroo. At the
same time, by chance, a number of the Khalifah Shaikh-

lings, nephews and sons of Shaikh Hamad, went out to
Sakhir to call on him.
Deputation at Sakhir.

The >4rabs arrived and discussed the matter for some
time with Shaikh Hamad in a reasonable manner, some
advocated a compromise by which the Government could

retire a little without giving in too much, others led
by Yousuf Fakhroo demanded that the proclamation should
be cancelled. Yusuf Kanoo spoke very strongly urging

that the matter should be pushed through, Shaikh Sulman
adopted the same line and Shaikh Abdulla maintained a
neutral attitude. Everyone, including Shaikh Hamad,

deplored the deliberate lies which had been told to the
ignorant people and which were the main cause of the
agitation.
Suddenly, to everyone's surprise a crowd of about

thirty Manama Sshias arrived in cars and came into the
Majlis in a state of great excitement. They were mostly