Page 47 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (IV)_Neat

39

The Qadis, in their report, mention that 15 buildings, including mosques, were repaired during
the year. The Manama Juma Mosque, on the sea front, owns a large and very valuable piece of land
lying opposite the mosque between the Sea Road and Prior Road. During the year attempts were
made by the committee to persuade the Qadis to let on a long lease, as a building site, a portion of this
land ; it was also suggested that they might sell a piece of it and devote the proceeds to building on
the remaining area. The mosque is frequently said to be in need of funds, but in spite of this fact no
arrangement was agreeable to the Qadis.

It is not surprising that during recent years there have been very few legacies in the shape of
wakfs.
Shia Wakf Department.—The department is managed by an elected committee and is not
under the control of the Qadis. The revenue was Rs. 79,681 and the expenditure was Rs. 68,220.
At the end of the year there was a balance of Rs. 1,00,955 in the wakf account. During 1367 improve­
ments were carried out in 40 gardens, 9 houses and 8 shops were rebuilt, and 32 mosques and 5 matems-
were repaired. The committee held 20 meetings.

PASSPORT DEPARTMENT

(From the report by Mr. Kadhim Asfoor, Passport Officer.)
The revenue for the year 1367 was Rs. 32,000, this is the highest amount which has been
collected since the department was started, if the income continues on this scale the department should
be self-supporting. The main source of income was from Travelling Passes, Entry Passes and miscel­
laneous forms and steamer passes. Nearly 33,000 persons landed in Bahrain during the year, of these
24,670 came by native craft, 6,780 by steamers and 1,526 by aircraft. Over 700 Shia pilgrims went
to Persia to visit the holy shrines and 65 persons went to Mecca during the pilgrim season. Few
Shias visited Iraq owing to quarantine restrictions in that country. Only 86 Persian divers came to
Bahrain to join their nakhudas for the diving season, the number was small owing to the fact that the
month of Ramadhan occurred during the diving period.
The department issued 1,426 free passports to members of the Ruling Family and the Naim,
and Kawari tribesmen who move between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
During the year 48 persons applied for Bahrain nationality, the majority of them were Persians
long resident in Bahrain. All but one of the applications were accepted.
In spite of the efforts of the authorities many people continued to enter Bahrain without
passports. Over 30 persons were arrested for illegal entry and were repatriated. Large numbers of
foreigners entered Bahrain from Qatar and the Trucial Coast, those recorded in the Passport Records
included 624 Muscatis, 1,120 Qataris. 850 subjects of the Shaikh of Dubai and 700 Indians. The
last figure does not include employees of the Bahrain Petroleum Company and the Arabian American
Oil Company. Nearly 1,700 Bahrain subjects left their country and obtained work in Saudi Arabia.

JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT
(From the report of Mr. Salim A1 Arayyad, Superintendent of the Judicial Dept.)
Senior Courts.—The two senior courts continued, as before, to be presided over by Shaikh
Daij bin Hamad and Shaikh Ali bin Ahmed. On one day in the week these two magistrates sit with
the Adviser to hear appeals and important cases.
The total number of cases presented in the courts during the year was 786 of which 197 were
civil suits, including 10 estate cases, 277 were land registration cases and 312 were criminal cases.
Most of the last category consisted of thefts and contravention of the liquor and traffic regulations.
The most important criminal case was one in which an employee of the Post Office was charged with
stealing about $ 5,000 from registered letters. The letters were sent by Bahrain merchants to firms