Page 319 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (I)_Neat

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Shi a TCakf Dept. -3-

person writing on a slip of paper the name of the man
he wished to elect, the individual obtaining most
votes was appointed as a member of the mejlis.

Although this was an entirely novel procedure among
the Bahama they took to it with excessive keenness.

In some places the old member was re-elected and in
other places a new representative was appointed.
The previous members were chosen by the Government,
as at that time the majlis was a new institution

and it was politic that they should be appointed,
not elected. The members of the majlis were chosen
as being the leading men of the district and acquainted

with date cultivation, One of their duties is to
assist in collecting the rents from the wakf tenants
and also to supervise the gardens end to report when

repairs and work are necessary to the mosques or to
the property itself.
The department has now begun to register its pro­

perty in the Land Department, obtaining Government
title deeds for the wakf gardens, but it will be some
years before they are all registered as there are
many thousands of separate "pieces" sometimes consist­

ing of two or three date , trees in the middle of a garden.
The department has been involved in a considerable

amount of litigation with various landowners, usually
members of the Ruling Family who olaim wakf property
as being part of their own gardens. It is a regret­
table fact that when these cases are referred to the

Sunni Shera court, for decisions, they are not dealt
with impartially. The members of the Ruling family
and the Sunni Kadis, are inclined to resent the existence
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