مجموعة ٦/ ٩ "تقارير جدة يناير ١٩٣١ -" [ظ‎‎٣‎٨‎٧] (٨٠٢/٧٧٥)

VII.— Pilgrimage.
56. The 1931 pilgrimage justified poor expectations. The grand total of
pilgrims from overseas was barely 40,000, about half the number in 1930. Alter
several days of doubt, it was held that the new moon had been seen on the evening
of Saturday, the 18th April, with the result that the gathering at Arafat took
place on Monday, the 27th April. The number of persons present cannot be ^
estimated, but, even allowing for a noticeably large contingent of Yemenis, it is
unlikely that there were more than from 10,000 to 20,000 overland pilgrims.
Health conditions were excellent, and there were unusually few deaths on Ararat
Day or during the ensuing festivals.
57. On the 24th April the King gave his usual banquet for Moslem notables
of all nations. He had King Amanullah on his right and Sheikh
Ahmed-el-Senussi on his left. He delivered a rousing speech on the need tor
unity among Moslems, the all-sufficiency of their faith, and the falsity of the idea
that the way to civilisation lay in imitation of Europeans. The speech contained,
inter alia, an indirect thrust at a recent utterance by an Indian leader, Shauqat
Ali, about “ our brothers the Jews.” The King admitted no brotherhood except
fraternity in Islam, and affirmed with a triple oath his desire to see all men united
in that faith. Another striking passage in a speech too long to paraphrase fully
was one in which he pointed to the Turkish Prince Ahmed Tevhid and recalled
how his forbears had defied the Turkish Sultans rather than own themsehes to
be slaves of a “ Commander of the Faithful.” The vigour of the King s utter
ances was a little toned down by a statement that he was not at war with the \\ orld,.
and used the courtesy prescribed by Islam, as long as he was not injured, m
respect of his beliefs and his country. -t
58. This speech was rendered into Urdu by the Indian Ismail Ghuznavi.
Various other speeches were delivered, including one in English by Sir Abdul
Kerim Ghuznavi (paragraph 67). Some little freedom of speech and much
diversity of thought prevailed at those banquets, many of the guests at which are
far from seeing eye to eye with Ibn Saud. This particular evening is said to have
ended in a certain atmosphere of politico-theological malaise.
59. Pilgrims suffered some hardships owing to the effect of the exchange
crisis (paragraph 5) on prices. Some of the poorer were hard hit by a regulation
suddenly introduced on the 3rd April, compelling foreign pilgrims to hand over
their travelling papers to the Jedda agents of the Mecca pilgrim guides in order
that they should be sent to the guides at Mecca to be held by them until the end
of the season. When this regulation was introduced an attempt was made to
apply one of its articles in such a way that pilgrims should not come themselves
to their Legations or consulates. The" British Legation successfully resisted this,
but was unable to get round the provision that pilgrims should be deprived of
their travelling papers. The effect of the new regulation is to convert these into
a sort of pledge for the payment of sums payable to the guides by way of
remuneration or in respect of taxes for which the guides are in turn responsible
to the Government. Sir A. Ryan made strong official reservations and reported
the matter home for instructions.
60. Otherwise this unusually small pilgrimage presented few special
features. The use of cars between Mecca and Arafat, which caused much
confusion last year, appears to have been somewhat severely controlled. There
were no reports of the circulation of forged Indian notes (January-February
report, paragraph 51, and previous reports). „ , . .
61 The smallness of the pilgrimage reacted on the number of ships in port
at Jedda but the traditional “ Haj Regatta,” revived in 1929 after an interval of
several years, was successfully held on the 30th April. His Majesty’s sloop
“ Dahlia ” and eight merchant ships, all British save one, took part.
62. Arrangements were made by the Legation with the commander of the
“ Dahlia ” to enable Moslem naval ratings to make the pilgrimage, as a small
number had done in 1930. This year no fewer than twenty-two Somalis, employed
in H.M.S. “Dahlia” and “Endeavour,” which was at Port Sudan, took
advantage of the arrangement. ^ ^ , A/r
63. Advantage was taken of the visits of Major Thomson and Mr. Champion
(paragraph 66) to discuss inter alia certain pilgrimage matters, notably with
Major Thomson, the question of the West African pilgrims. Major Thomson