File 705/1916 Pt 2 'Arab revolt: Arab reports; Sir M Sykes' reports' [‎219r] (435/450)

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APPENDIX.
MEMORANDUM ON THE
MECCA AGAINST
REBELLION OF THE GRAND SHE RIF OF
THE RULE OF THE YOUNG TURK.
0) 1 Lave been greatly interested in the sudden and unexpected action taken by
the Grand Sherif to throw off the suzerainty which the “ Committee of Union and
Progress” (through the Sultan of Turkey) holds over the sacred places of Islam in
Arabia.
(2) The Grand Sherif has no doubt taken this action firstly, owing to the long
continued and persistent misrule of the Turk over the sacred spots ; and secondly,
owing to the folly of the young Turk in breaking with the Great Power which rules
over a larger number of Mahommedans than does even the Sultan of Turkey—a Power,
moreover, which has always done so much to promote the welfare of the Mahom.nedan
religion.
(3) The Grand Sherif must have heard, and read with the greatest possible
satisfaction the announcement made by the Viceroy of India, on the outbreak of war
with Turkey, that Great Britain would refrain from taking coercive measures against
the Turks at those Ports on the Red Sea littoral which give access to the Holy Places
of Mecca and Medina, provided there was no interference in the pilgrim traffic from
India, &c.
This was as sound a move on the part of the British Government as it is possible
to conceive ; it can best be described as a politico-strategic move of high value, as it
at once ranged the Grand Sherif as the firm friend of Great Britain, and it is to our
present as well as for our future interests that we should do all in our power to cement
this friendship. A friend, no doubt, he has always been, as it would manifestly have
been folly for him to quarrel with the Power which sends to him—as custodian of the
Holy Places—such ever-increasing hordes of pdgrims, who enrich these sanctuaries
with their wealth.
(4) The continual revolts of the Arabs in the Yemen, in Mesopotamia, and in
Arabia generally, are a matter of common knowlege, and though the Turks have often
suffered severely at their hands, the Arabs have never possessed sufficient military
resources to enable them to throw off the yoke of a more or less organised Power.
Now, however, a unique opportunity has occurred to enable the Grand Sherif to
completely throw off his allegiance to Constantinople, and I. sincerely hope that we
have lost no time in supporting him with every means at our disposal—physical as
well as moral.
(5) A mission to the Grand Sherif should start without delay, but, more important
than all is the immediate despatch of Indian Mahommedan regiments, machine guns,
and artillery. Our Mahommedan troops would fight for this cause—the protection of
their Holy Shrines — with the zeal of a fanatic.
(G) No doubt a great deal was at once made in India by our authorities when the
Grand Sherif announced his revolt against what is nothing more nor less than Young
Turk atheism in regard to the Mahommedan religion.
The Indian Government should take every step to explain to the leaders of
Mahommedanism the true nature of this rebellion ; in so far as it affects their religion,
and as it affects the pilgrimages of their co-religionists to Mecca and to the other
Holy Places in Arabia. Every true Mahommedan hopes to journey to Mecca at least
once in his life. It is, therefore, politically incumbent on the Government of India
to make easy, and to foster these pilgrimages to the fullest possible extent, because,
by so doing we do more than in any other way to cement the loyalty of the
Mahommedans in India. If we were to make a false move now by which the steady
flow of this pilgrim traffic was stopped, or even threatened, it would do more than
anything to disturb Mahommedan feeling in India, not to put it stronger.
S 316 C