"ملف 32/10 (4/18) ممارسات إحياء ذكرى محرّم" [و‎‎٢‎٠] (٩٠/٣٩)

Muharram will fall this year towards the end of
January. As P.A is aware Muharram in Bahrain is an
occasion for a somewhat disgusting exhibition by the
processionists from the various mahtams who cut them
selves about the heads with swords and knives and
generally work themselves up into a state of frenzy
and excitement. So far as I am aware Muharram pro
fessions are not allowed to take place in this way
in any other jbart of the Moslem World and even in
Iraq in the towns of Nejaf and Kerbala where the
main Shia* shrines are situated I am told that pro
cessions are controlled and that generally speaking
those who take part in the Muharram proceedings are
not allowed to leave their mahtams. It seems to me
that it is time that some effort was made to exercise
similar control in Bahrain. Bach year Muharaam pro
cessionists become more excited and there are always
unpleasant incidents. Excitement reaches fever pitch
and it only requires some small incident to cause very
unpleasant developments with which in my view the Police
would be totally unable to deal. During last Muharram
I was present to watch the Police arrangements in the
central square in Manama where most of the blood .flows.
These arrangements consist principally of a large number
of men on duty with each procession and a body of armed
police on the roof of a building in the square. These
armed police could in no circumstances open fire in such
a situation as to do so with .303 rifles would mean
killing many innocent spectators.
2. I made some enquiries and I learn that this
exhibitionism has the disapproval of many of the leading
Shias /-