Page 330 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (IV)_Neat

38
of the Manama!) mosques where two of the Maliki Qadhis themselves officiated. Public feeling became
very strong against the most influential of the three Sunni Qadhis.
The Government attempted by prolonged negotiations to persuade the Qadhis of their own
accord to give the Committee more authority. These efforts were unsuccessful. The two Maliki
Qadhis, through whose hands most of the Waqf revenue passed, asserted that the administration of the
Waqf by anyone except the Qadhis was illegal according to Shcra Law, they also adhered to a letter,
rather ambiguously worded, which they had received from the late Ruler, early in his reign, claiming
that it gave the Qadhis the sole right to administer the Sunni Waqfs of Bahrain.
In most of the Middle Eastern countries the administration of Waqf property has been taken
out of the hands of the Qadhis and handed over to a separate department, the most recent state to
make this change was Kuwait.
After lengthy negotiations, meetings and discussions the Government strengthened the Com­
mittee by appointing two additional members and then gave instructions to the Committee to set
up a separate organisation for administering the Sunni Waqfs.
A few months after this step was taken the newly organised department moved from its quarters
in the Law Courts, where it had been under the eye of the Qadhis, into a new office at the Bab-al-
Bahrain. The move appeared to have the psychological effect of establishing the department as a
separate entity. For some time however there were constant arguments between the Qadhis and the
Committee but by the end of the year the organisation was functioning smoothly.
One of the Committee's first actions was to pool the revenue of the mosques and to lay down a
regular scale of pay for mosque officials, Imams, Muazzins and teachers, so that their salaries depended
not upon the revenue of individual mosques but upon the duties which they carried out. This rather
drastic reform was pleasing to the large majority of mosque officials, but unpleasant to the few who
because they were attached to mosques which were heavily endowed enjoyed large incomes. The
department also made a survey of all Waqf property and revised many of the leases.
For many years the Government has been concerned over the unsatisfactory administration
of the Sunni Waqf, but it was considered inadvisable in the past to take drastic action in a matter
which was essentially religious. The reforms which have now been carried out arc in response to
strong public opinion and they were put into effect not by the Government, directly, but by the
Committee of Sunni notables who now control the department.
In order to encourage the new organisation the Government agreed to make a loan to the depart­
ment of one lakh of rupees, without interest, repayable over ten years, to be spent upon improvements
to Waqf property, which includes gardens, houses and shops, which in the past have suffered neglect
owing to the policy of the department which was to extract the largest amount possible from Waqf
property without improving or expanding it. In a few years the extensive Waqf property in Bahrain
should produce a very much larger income than it does today.
Shla Waqf Department.—In the middle of year elections were held for a new Committee.
The elections took place in various villages all over Bahrain each village which was chosen being a
centre for half a dozen surrounding villages. The Adviser, the Superintendent of the Department and
the Accounts Officer attended the elections. In most places there was fairly keen voting and consider­
able interest was shown by the public. The meetings were held either inside or outside Mosques or
Matems or in the village school. The election for the Manamah members was held at the Bab-al-
Bahrain. The occasion provided a good opportunity for discussing with the village people any
problems or suggestions which they wished to talk about. In several centres a demand was made
for a village school and for more medical visits. These matters are receiving the attention of the
Government.

At the same time the question of registration of vital statistics was discussed. It has been
the Government's desire for some time to register births and deaths. This proposal was at first