"ملف ٦/ ١ المصالح الأجنبية: الإرسالية الأمريكية في مسقط" [و‎‎٨‎٢] (٢١٠/١٦٣)

CONFIDENTIAL
no, 22 f (? ■
Political Agency & H.B.M's Consulate,
Muscat*the 20th January I93i»
To
The Hon’hie the Political Resident
in the Persian Gulf,
Bushire#
.<
i
!
Memorandum#
Please refer to correspondence ending with your telegram
No.1033 of 16th December 1930# The case which caused me to
send my telegram No.103 of 15th December 1930, was as follows,
certain individual Morash bin Belal by name whom the
American Missionaries here alleged to be a Christian, but whom
/
tne local Muslems declared to be a Mohammedan, died, and the
vexed question of under what rites he should be buried arose.
The Rev. Van Peursem, the American Minister of the Mission,
applied to the Council for permission for Merash to be
buried as a Christian. The Council advised that he should be
buried as a Muslem which was finally done. So far I had
not been approached in the matter.
The question of Merasl^s widow, one Miryam - a woman
of about 27 years of age - then arose. The brother-in-law
by all reports a somewhat fanatical and hotheaded individual,
claimed that she should perform the adu (x>rescribed mourning)
in his house. This means a four months and ten days seclusion
in a house for the widow during which she must not see, or
even speak to, any man except a relative, it also includes a
Muslem ceremony,by a Mulla . The brother-in-law’s claim was
supported by the Council. The woman herself in the meantime
had gone to the Van Paursem’s house. Mr. Van Peursem, as
representing the American Missionaries, then asxed me - as
being in charge of American interests - for my good offices
on behalf of the widow, pointing out that if she returned to
her brother-in-law’s hoiute the latter would undoubtedly