مجموعة ١٠/١٧(١) "شؤون داخلية: الوضع السياسي؛ العلاقات مع الحكومة البريطانية" [و‎‎١‎٧‎٨] (٩٨٢/٣٦٠)

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT
tj 'z 'y
EASTERN (Iraq).
8010
September 30, 1935.
CONFIDENTIAL.
1935
Section 3.
[E 5863/278/93]
Mr. Bateman to Sir Samuel Hoare—(Received September 30.)
(No. 503.)
Sir, Bagdad, September 19, 1935.
I HAVE the honour to inform you that the Minister of Education—Sheikh
itiza-al-Shabibi—resigned on the morning of the 16th September and was replaced
by Sadiq Beg A1 Bassam, the Director of State Domains and a staunch supporter
of Yasin Pasha.
2. The event would be a matter of trifling importance were it not an
indication that the Sunni-Shiah cleavage is causing no less trouble to the present
Government than to its predecessors. For some years past the Ministry of
Education has been a Shiah preserve and latterly has become the subject of much
adverse criticism on the ground that each successive Minister has countenanced
and condoned wire-pulling and indiscipline to such a point that the whole
educational system in Iraq has become disreputable and chaotic. Apparently the
outgoing Minister found himself obstructed at every turn by the intrigues of his
co-religionists at Nejef and Kerbala and confessed inability to take arms against
his sea of troubles.
3. When it became apparent that he was unable or unwilling to end them
by opposition, the Prime Minister himself set his hand to the task of cleaning
this Augean stable. He attempted to institute a system of dual control. A
director of instruction was appointed to collaborate with Dr. Jamali, the present
Director of Education—a young man of high ideals, who has carried on nobly in
the face of much petty annoyance. The new official, however, was as impotent as
his Minister and resigned twice in a fortnight. The Prime Minister then hit
upon the expedient of appointing his brother, Taha Pasha, Chief of the General
Staff, to restore order and discipline amongst the pedagogues. Taha Pasha has
earned the admiration of all the members of the Military Mission (except General
Hay) as a conscientious, industrious and intelligent soldier. The appointmen
was probably a good one. It appears, however, to have been too much tor Kiza-a
Shabibi, who forthwith retired from the unequal combat. Tradition is still
followed in that his successor, of whom little is known, is also a ^hia •
4. The appointment of Taha Pasha to a post under the 1 mis ry o
Education may, however, have another significance. For him e uca ion ls 01 W,
part-time job. He still remains at the Ministry of Defence, where he has recently
been engaged on a much-needed scheme, suggested by .. as . f , 11
by Colonel Waterhouse, for decentralising the work of the Mmistry and allow |
more responsibility to unit commanders in the provinces , . e _
initiated in the absence of Jaafar Pasha, the Minister o ® e > ■ • j
sented to the Council of Ministers differed considerab y r ' J ' , , pjepart-
up by Colonel Waterhouse, especially in regard to the Actant-Gene P j
ment, which was to be put under the direct control of *^1 of the Cenera
Whatever the object of the scheme, A ha re t u !ned to Bagdad. He imme-
efforts by Taha Pasha) by th ?/lf ® ] a ^ e eded with, and so far he seems to have
diately threatened to resign if it was pr
had his way.
[506 gg—3]