File 1707/1924 ‘Arabia:- Jeddah Situation Reports. (1924-1930)’ [‎413v] (831/898)

Penang comes to the conclusion that King Hussein is the only person who is qualified
for the post of Caliph is marred by the omission of the secretary to sign his name.
Much is made of recognition by Sidi Alfaril, “ Commander-in-cldef of the Liberian army
and leader of the Moslems in Liberia.’’ This gentleman, who is covered with medals,
I produces as credentials a letter in which the Secretary to the Gold Coast Government
says that if Sidi Alfaril really volunteered in 1914 to help the Allies, will he please send
a copy of any letter in which the offer was made.
The “ Kibla ” prints a letter, signed by Haji Muhammad Kasim, of Bombay,
Muhammad Abdul Kadir-al-Kadiri, of Badayun, and Aba Khalid Bashid-al-Din Ahmad
(known as Padshah Mia), of Bengal, recognising the King a^ Caliph, declaring the
Hedjaz to be free from European "influence, and contradicting th e reports current in
India that pressure is put upon pilgrims to make them recognise King Hussein as
i Caliph. Some of Padshah Mia’s pupils, who came to this office, cursed him for having
<! sold his principles for a car,” i.e., in order to travel to Jeddah in one of the King’s
motors instead of on a camel, but declared that he signed the letter out of fear. It is
one thing, they said, to oppose the British Raj, which at worst puts you in a prison,
where you are quite well treated, and quite another to oppose a despot, who is quite
capable of having your throat cut.
There seems to have been some friction between the Mahmal people and the
Hedjaz authorities. I have been unable to learn themause, but it is credibly reported
that before he left Mecca the Amir-al-Hajj formed up his troops before the great
mosque, and made them play the Egyptian National Air and give cheers for “King
Fuad, the only independent Arab ruler.” Possibly King Hussein had been conducting
Caliphate propaganda among the Egyptians.
The Pilgrimage Conference was duly held at Mecca. According to the “ Kibla ”
there were several preliminary meetings at which a programme dealing with the
following points was drawn up :—
1. Mutual acquaintance of Moslem peoples should be encouraged.
2. Arab unity should be nucleus of Moslem unity.
3. Executive committee should be formed to draw up programme for a general
congress and to establish branches in Moslem countries.
4. Financial committee should be formed to raise funds.
5. Publicity should be directed solely to the betterment of Moslems in the matter
of religion.
6. Education of Moslem children should be based on religious principles. They
should never be sent to foreign schools.
7. Technical education in Moslem countries should be encouraged.
8. Study of Arabic in Moslem countries should be promoted.
According to the “ Kibla.” Sheikh Umar Kurdi, ex-kadi of Medina, was elected
president of the congress, and resolutions were passed protesting against the usurpation
of portions of the Hedjaz Railway, a Moslem Wakf, by England and France, and
supporting the protest of Abdul Kadir-al-MudhafiPar againgst the wrongful seizure of
Palestine and “its conversion into a national home for the Jews.” According to a
later number of the “ Kibla,” a telegram of protest about Wakfs has been sent to the
League of Nations, the Caliphate Committee in India, A1 Azhar and various Egyptian,
Syrian and Palestinian newspapers. The telegram includes a protest about the retention
by the Turks of the treasures taken from the Prophet’s tomb.
I may mention here that Abdul Kadir Mudhaffar, speaking to the Ruler of
Bandung, an important Javanese chief, railed against the Javanese as miserable
cowards for allowing fewer than 200,000 Europeans to rule 30,000,000 of them, and
said he would go to Java next year to rouse the people from their lethargy.
On the whole the promise to compensate the pilgrims who set out for Medina
and had to return unsuccessful has really been kept. All the Indians and Egyptians
got their £10 and all the Malays their £2. The only difficulty was over the free
transport to Arafat and back to Jeddah, which the Malays were promised. As we
anticipated, they had to quarrel with the guides for this, but they were surprisingly
successful, and in the few cases which ha\e come to my notice where free transport was
not provided, the money was refunded by the guides’ agents in Jeddah. Little or
nothing has come out of the King’s pocket, of course ; the guides have had to pay.
One can almost find pity for these leeches^ greedy brutes as they are, their master is
as brutal and far more greedy.
3 he Kibla announced the departure of a caravan for Medina on the 28th July,