‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 23 PART II (From 16thto 30thJune 1916)’ [‎85r] (174/274)

APPENDIX 364
(Diary No. 61642)
Telegram No. I.G.-3099, dated 24th June 1916.
(Despatched 1-50 P.M., received 1-45 A.M., 25 h June 1916)
From—The General Officer Commanding, Force “ D Basrah.
To—The Chief of the General Staff, Simla.
Your 61826 of 23rcl text of document as follows. To the leaders of the
nation and the Chiefs of the tribes and Ilialu of the State of Persia. May God
perpetuate its Empire. We represent tor the information of Your Honour a
description of the grievous events of august Kerbela which occurred on the 1 ith
of Raiab 1337 (14th Mav 1916) trouble you as follows. You must realise that
for the inhabitants of Kerbela the afflicted Persians in particular neither life is left
nor property fazlv reputation honour or credit. After the local Government had
given the Ulemas and the Divines oflslam a clear undertaking for six days re^
spite in order to satisfy the remainder of their requirements and claims including
the surrender of arms apart from other numerous claims and requirements which
the people had already complied with, they on Sunday morning the 1 ith Rajah
trained their guns on the town of Kerbela and by the force of gas pumps gunfire
bombs and rifles destroyed a number of houses belonging to the helpless and
unprotected people and burned them. Then they invaded the holy courts of the
Lord of Martyrs (z.£., Immam Husein) and Abe-Fazlel-Abbas and demolished
the facades of the galleries thereof and razed the minarets as well as the clock
tower belonging to the Immam and burned tnem all. Then they stretched their
hands towards slaughter and pillage. In one quarter named Babel Khan they
piled up the mutilated bodies of destitute old men and helpless women, little
children and Seyids and students in a way which moved the heart of the hardest
hearted. They mutilated the bodies of the killed, cut off the breasts of women
and rent their limbs and members asunder. Then they commenced plundering
removed all that they could and what they could not take off their sprinkled gas
hereof with gas pumps and burned with gun shells and grenades. Their handi
work was such that the history of the world has never seen the like. Even his
tory of the present universal war affcrJs no example in any of the Christian coun-
1041 GSB
tries of such savagery as these Ottoman Moslems and brethren in the faith have
perpetrated upon a handful of the inhabitants of Kerbela and especially upon
the Persian community. A short story of this tragic event together with the
photos and distressing illustrations of burnt places and ruined buildings and the
pierced and mutilated bodies of men, women and children have been submitted to
you separately. But in the hope of prompt redress and instantaneous immunity
our special request from Your Honour is that you should by the first opportunity
take such measures as God would approve to help the survivors of us helpless
Moslems because we consider the persons of Your Honours as official represent
ative of the Government and the nation and that you should by any medium that
you think fit take immediate and energetic steps by telegraphic communications
to communicate the description of this painful event to the just court of the Ot-
toms Government and in the meantime you should obtain immunity in the present
and instructions for the future so that perhaps by God's Grace and the blessings
of the Imams and the energetic steps of Your Honours this hanuful of Moslems
may get relief and our vexed hearts may in some measure. be considered and ail
Moslems may enjoy a little immunity so that with easy minds they may be take
to praying for the endurance cf the august Moslem Governments and of the
lives of Your Honour. Undoubtedly the historical kudos to be earned by the
taking of such measure which will please God will be the best possible reason
for your lasting good name and the honourable mention of your goodselves in
history. By the Grace of the Most High. All that is written herein by the
leading tradesmen for the information of the national leaders constitutes only one
tenth of the soul-burning events which occurred in the holy places. Now the in
habitants of this sacred place generally and the Ulemas and Divines of Islam
particularly rely on these leaders who God willing should take up the question
of the preservation of the lives of the remainder of the poor and helpless people.
Bv the Grace of the Most High. The description of the soulb-urning event of
Kerbela is far worse than what the respected merchants have written in detail and
it is certainly by all meins incumbent and necessary on every zealous and brave
man to do his utmost and strive hard in order to preserve the remount of those liv
ing here and the followers of Amitulmoamanin and to improve their circumstances