Coll 17/10(1) 'Internal: political situation; relations with HMG' [‎117r] (238/982)

Mil
THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
J
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EASTERN (Iraq).
CONFIDENTIAL.
C9Q9
W
July 2, 1936.
Section 1.
[E 4057/3089/93]
Copy No. 11 4
*5A ^4. Clark Kerr to Mr. Eden.—(Received July 2.)
(No. 297. Confidential.)
Sir, , Bagdad, June 19, 1936.
I HAVE the honour to refer to the series of telegrams y/hich I have sent
to you during the last few days concerning the political effects in Iraq of the
marriage of Princess Azzah. The first and acute phase of the affair now seems
to be past, and the present is probably a good moment at which to tell the early
chapters of what may possibly be a long story.
2. It was some ten days or so before news of the princess’s elopement
reached Bagdad, for the Government were at pains to exclude any reference to
it from the local press. But they v/ere unsuccessful in their efforts to prevent
foreign newspapers containing full reports from finding their way into Iraq,
and in due course the princess’s adventure became the main topic of conversation
throughout the country.
3. While for a foreigner it was hard at first to measure it, there can now
be no doubt about the damage done to the reputation of the Hashimite family
and, in particular, to the personal prestige of King Ghazi. In the face of the
flight of his sister, a daughter of the house of the Prophet, with an hotel servant
and of her apostasy from Islam, the first popular reaction was one of dismay and
of indignation with the princess herself. The second and the more violent was
one of hot anger with her brother, King Ghazi. To the everyday and uninformed
European this might well seem unreasonable, but to the Iraqi it was natural and
inevitable, and for it His Majesty was himself to blame. Had he enjoyed even
a modest share of the respect and affection commanded by his father, the offence
of his sister would have drawn to him the sympathy of the whole country. But
he had been foolish. His absorption in his private hobbies had led him into a
heedlessness of the welfare and the susceptibilities of his subjects and indifference
to affairs of State which had become notorious. And, still more, even amongst
a people by no means and by no right queasy about human frailties, a penny
plain or twopence coloured, his mode of life had long been a cause for whispered
scandal and had served to make the Iraqis hold him in aversion. What had
been whispered about him before now became the subject of the common talk of
the coffee shops, and of talk of such a kind as to bring His Majesty into contempt.
Thus the main odium provoked by his sister’s escapade fell upon King Ghazi
himself.
4. Among tribal Arabs such a stain as that left by Princess Azzah upon
the family honour can only be wiped out by the blood of both the man and the
woman. Often in this country women and their lovers are killed by outraged
male relations for misdemeanours less serious than the present one. The
murderers come in for popular praise and are dealt with lightly in the courts.
But in this instance the culprits are far away from Iraq and vengeance in the
classic tradition offers many difficulties.
5. From the beginning it was clear that the Government and the Court
were greatly upset. But it has been only within the last few days that the
Prime Minister has admitted to me the extent of his concern, which has been
deepened by the unhelpful and even reckless attitude of Nuri Said.
6 . Early on the morning of the 15th June Yasin telephoned to me to ask
me to see him about an urgent matter. Tie came to the Embassy at 9 o clock.
He was plainly much perturbed. He began by speaking of Nuri, who had just
returned from Europe. He said that experience had shown that, from time to
time, Nuri adopted, and put forward as his own, ideas suggested to him by others,
and he gave me one or two instances of what he meant. Yasin added that he
mentioned this because it was widely believed that Nuri often gave voice to^ the
views of this Embassy. Since his return from Europe on the 12th June, Nun,
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