"ملف 32/10 (4/18) ممارسات إحياء ذكرى محرّم" [و‎‎٣‎٣] (٩٠/٦٥)

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obey all directions given to them by the police,
that they would be responsible if any trouble took
place and that no weapons would be carried. Three
of the Bahama matems agreed to these conditions and
appeared on the 10th as usual. The heads of the
Persian matem and the Bin Rejab matems refused the
conditions and took no part in the procession.
Proceedings against 19 persons, Bahrain subjects,
are now proceeding in the Bahrain Court but the case
is difficult to deal with as owing to the darkness
and the general confusion it was difficult at the
time for the police to recognise the men who were
most aggressive. Several people seem to have taken
the opportunity to get their own back on others with
whom they were on bad terms and the evidence is diffi
cult to disentangle.
Shaikhs Mohomed Abdullah and Sulman have discussed
the matter with me and they would like to persuade
His Highness to obtain a "fatwah" from the Shia Ulema
in Iraq as to the undesirability of Muharram proces
sions. Armed with this they would forbid all such
processions in future. The leading Bahama however
are seriously disturbed at the prospect of the Sunni
government interfering in what they regard as a reli
gious rite. It is being suggested that the whole
affair was staged in order to give the government an
opportunity of curtailing the activities of t'he Shias,
this is of course entirely untrue.
I consider personally that processions at night
through the narrow lanes and alleys in the middle of
the town are liable to lead to trouble but that th< S
day time procession under supervision is not; liabl e i- 0
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