PZ 1654/31 'Mr Philby's conversion to Islam' [‎49r] (49/58)

(E 4728/4728/91)
No.1874/1242/10.
JSDDA,
August 19, 1930.
Dear Rendel,
Ryan wrote Oliphant a line Toy last "bag about Philby* s
/
embrace of Islam. I enclose a translation of an extract from
the al^Qura” containing Philby’s letter announcing his
conversion to the King as Imam. It is dated August 3, but none
of us knew anything about it - and as far as I remember we all
saw him that day at the usual Sunday reception here - until we
heard on Friday the 8th that he had been seen that morning in
r
the Great Mosque of Mecca.
It seems that he left here on the 7th dressed in native
garb as for shooting, took his guns and chauffeur, and was met
at Bahra, half way to Mecca, by Fuad Hamza. There he changed
into pilgrim dress and went on to make his profession of faith
in Mecca on the Friday. He went to Taif the next day and is
still there.
I happen to have had a lot of talk with Philby about
religion and am convinced that, short of having seen some
revelation, he has no religious motive. He is embittered and
very lonely man and I think that he has done this to rebuild
for himself a background and surroundings to replace those left
shattered in his past. Here he was neither flesh nor fowl.
Now he is in a fair way to become one of t he B rothers, probably
1 get a job, and possibly supplant one or other of the Syrian
}.<■
, PikLui
entourage, Fuad, for instance. The move will help him
financially too, for business is poor and his is badly run, and
I
^.W.RENDEL, ESQ.