File 705/1916 Pt 1 'Arab revolt: reports' [‎300v] (148/494)

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Their attack was unsuccessful, however, and retired from the town with
casualties of about 200 .
Documents protesting against the violation of the holy places are being
allowed to be circulated from Persian sources amongst the Moslems of
Persia and elsewhere.
A circular letter signed by 200 of the chief inhabitants of Kerbela and
endorsed by two of the Uluma has been sent to the British authorities at
Bazrah for the Persian Government and people.
Baghdad.
Severe dissensions between the Shia and the JPunni communities in
Baghdad appear to have broken out as a result of the Turkish action in
Kerbela.
Reception of the News of the Arab Revolt.
Satisfactory articles have appeared in the leading British papers, showing
a proper appreciation of the forces behind the Pan-Arab movement/
The news has, broadly speaking, been well received by the Moslems of
Java, Egypt, Algeria, Bombay, and Tunis.
In unfortunate contrast is a sentence from a recent article by Ru dvard
a leading daily paper. Speaking of the Turks, he saysT “ One
cannot rejoice over dead Mohammedans unless they are Arabs’’—a
statement which the Central Powers will not be slow to use as propaganda/
The Turks have been publishing the following false statement in
connection with the British naval activity in the Red Sea
“ British ships continue from time to time to bombard undefended
places on the shore of the Red Sea, and without military reasons to
direct their fire mainly against the holy places, mausoleums, and
mosques.
“ According to the last report received, a British ship bombarded
the mausoleum of Sheikh Hamid on the coast near Medina ; another
ship bombarded the harbour of Jeddah on the coast near Mecca ”
Reuter.
i ^ir^^^/the-is stl11 510 information from Turkish sources
about the Sherif’s rebellion.