مجموعة ٦/ ٩ "تقارير جدة يناير ١٩٣١ -" [و‎‎٣‎٦‎٣] (٨٠٢/٧٢٦)

5
17. The Legation received a long complaint in July from a prominent Shi'a
recounting the indignities heaped upon his sectaries in the Holy Places. Another
complaint in August concerned the closing of a school in Medina, of which the
Nizam of Hyderabad is one of the patrons, for refusal to employ a Wahhabi
teacher and to inculcate the Wahhabi concept of the Unity of Allah. Neither
complaint could of course be attended to without departing from His Majesty's
^Government’s settled policy of neutrality in religious matters.
II.— Frontier Questions.
Transjordan.
Raiding.
18. One Hejazi raid was reported in July by the Transjordan authorities
as having taken place on the 5th May, when a party of Hejazi Aniza raided the
Transjordan Howeytat, killed one man, and made off with some sixtv camels.
The usual protest was lodged.
19. In August a desert patrol of the Transjordan Arab Legion recovered
two camels and two rifles taken by the Transjordan Tagatga from the Hejazi
Billi. These were held ready for collection at Mudawwara, and the Hejazi
Government were notified. There was no other raiding during July and August,
thanks chiefly to the efficiency of the Transjordan Desert Police.
Glubb—Ibn Zeyd Meetings.
(a) Meeting of June 3.
20. Not until the 25th July did the Legation receive from the Transjordan
authorities the particulars of the preliminary meeting held on the 3rd June
between Captain Glubb and Sheikh Abdul Aziz-bin-Zeyd (see May-June report,
paragraph 25). The meeting was cordial and friendly, each side entertaining the
other to a meal. The following subjects were discussed ^
(a) The need for close co-operation between the two parties.
{b) The immediate restitution of any loot taken, by the sending of victims
with a letter to the representative of the other Government.
{c) The method by which victims should substantiate their claims by the
production of two witnesses, who, if possible, would be the sheikhs.
(d) Compensations for persons killed
(1) If the person killed was the aggressor, the compensation
should be seven young camels.
("2) If the person killed was not the aggressor, the compensation
should be twenty-eight young camels.
These fines could be compounded for 15 liras in the first case, or, in
the second case, for 60 liras. Relatives of the killed would not have to
identify the actual murderer, but simply prove that the victim was
killed by a certain party.
(e) The question of taking commission on loot returned :—
It was suggested by the Transjordan representative that this be
done away with; the Nejd representative, however, doubted whether
his Government would agree to forgo it, and was informed that if the
Nejd Government did not abolish the practice the Transjordan
Government could also not do so. If the practice continued the
compensation should be in terms of cash per camel.
Sheikh Abdul Aziz, up to this point, agreed to all suggestions, but suddenly
torpedoed all the proceedings by saying that he had no authority to make any
agreement without reference to Ibn Baud, and he absolutely refused to allow any
paper embodying the terms to be drawn up for mutual signature.
He stated, however, that he had received a letter from Ibn Baud saying that
he hoped that powers to treat with the Transjordan Government representative
would shortly be given.