File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎30v] (69/834)

if they wished for his opinion on the Word of God he was pre
pared to give it, but he would not express any view on affairs of
state. Incidentally he observed that he had no intention of
declaring a Jihad against aeroplanes and motors. He consented,
however, to put in a plea that the office of Kiliddar, lately held
by Fakhri, might not be removed from the family. I'or the
present Mohammed All’s son, Hamid, has been left in charge.
Mohammed Ali is now in Baghdad, staying with the Naqib,
who, at the C.C’s request, kindly invited him to be his guest
until a house could begot ready for him. Ultimately he will
probably elect to take up his abode in Kadhimein. He arrived in
time to see his brother Fakhri before the latter left for Basrah
and India. By a curious coincidence Fakhri has as his companion
on the voyage Mohammed Effendi, the officer of gendarmerie who
recently 7 surrendered at Diwamyah. I he last occasion of their
meeting was in 1916, when Mohammed was with the I urkish
troops which attacked Kerbela. The conjunction though entirely
fortuitous is conducive to salutary reflections.
Major Pulley is installed as A.P.O. at Kerbela and the town
is perfectly quiet. According to private information volunteered
by one of the Ulema of Kerbela, who has arrived at Baghdad, the
religious heads of the Kerbela community are highly delighted
with the removal of the Kamunah brothers, with whom, lor the
sake of their personal immunity from molestation, they have been
obliged to keep on outwardly cordial terms, though the truculent
Kamunah excesses and oppression have been a continual source of
anxiety. The support, which the authority of the Adminis
tration has had in this matter from the leading Mujtahids, both at
Nejef and Kerbela, has been a matter for extreme satisfaction.”
ABYSSINIA.
We are still without news of further developments at Adis
Abeba later than what has already been reported (see p. 434) ;
but more details of the causes which have led to the foreshadowed
crisis have come to hand.
1 he position of the Empress is not in question. Having
once been crowned, she will probably remain on the throne for
her lifetime. She cannot, however, as a woman, exercise personally
the supreme power in Abyssinia and must content herself with
acting through a representative who thus becomes the actual head
of the Government. For the past year this position has been
occupied by lias Taffari in his quality of Heir Apparent, and it
is only of late that his right to this position has been in any way
called in question, although the Council of Ministers have always