ملف ٧٠٥/١٩١٦ الجزء ١ "انتفاضة عربية - تقارير" [ظ‎‎٢‎٣‎٠] (٤٩٤/٨)

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confident that they would not resent Egyptians of high degree as temporary
organisers of Jeddah. Colonel Wilson, Governor of Port Sudan, is put forward
by Cairo for the post. And it is suggested that, if circumstances require it,
it will be possible for him to go on leave at the time of the Haj, leaving
his subordinates, who would be Moslems, to carry the details through.
T/ie Sheriffs Proclamation.
A copy of the Sherif’s proclamation to his brother Moslems has just
reached Cairo. It appears to be an unpublished rough proof, admitting
of revision; it is not yet in Fetwah form.
It is, however, a remarkable document; the outline of it is as fo lows.
The Sherif recounts his services to the Turks and emphasises the previous
unity of Islam. The Committee of Union and Progress, he points out,
have treated Hejaz tyrannically, and have violated Islam by allowing the
Tomb of the Prophet to be treated irreverently, by giving women the same
rights as men, by ordering their soldiery to neglect Ramadan, by changing
the customs of the Sacred Court, by submitting the Sultan to the in
dignities of degradation, by executing Moslem intellectuals and expel ing
their families, by desecrating Abdul Kadir’s grave, and finally by firing
three shells into the Kaaba, one of which struck the Black Stone, another
fell on Abraham’s Sepulchre, while the third set fire to the Kiswa.
Finally, the Sherif declares himself independent of the Committee of
Union and Progress, and states that he intends to adhere strictly to the
law of Islam, and promote education for all classes. The proclamation
is embellished by copious quotations from the Koran.
ASIR.
The I dr isi.
The Idrisi has been as good as his word, and has taken Kunfida; his
flag now flies over it, and he has sent 8 officers and 190 men as prisoners
to Suez, where they are expected shortly. According to one account the
Turkish garrison surrendered direct to British men-of-war.
On 9th July a telegram was received from the Resident at Aden to the
following effect.
The Idrisi is a striking person, and appears to be trustworthy. He
would not tolerate any encroachment by the Sherif into Asir; but, at the
same time, he told Commander Turton that if the Sherif got to Kunfida or
Ibha before him he would not attack him, trusting to our promise to settle
the problem when the Turks had been driven out.
We are under a treaty obligation to give Idrisi munitions of war, and
he cannot be expected to deal with the Turks without them. Guarantees
are not needed, because if he were to behave badly he could be easily
reduced by blockade of his coasts. Apart from that, however, his feud
with the Imam is due to the fact that he cannot forgive the latter for
breaking his promise to him in 1910 > und as he himself has now given
the Sherif a written declaration of his friendship it is thought that he can
be trusted.