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עמוד:*47
47 * I've heard that Jennawocker and milk is the best", the smiles became perplexed . 26 Darwish's conduct serves as an example of the ambivalent approach to alcohol . Darwish did not officially admit to drinking, and his guests were cautious to discuss it . However, it was clear that alcohol was acceptable in silence . With these cases in mind, additional sources can illuminate the royal family's official stance regarding alcohol . This source is correspondence between Charles Belgrave, Advisor to the Bahrain Government, and ‘Abdull ā h Āl Th ā n ī concerning the smuggling of alcohol from Qatar to Manama . 27 Belgrave sent to the Qatari ruler a bottle of alcohol made in Goa . In the attached letter, he explained that large quantities of this liquor were smuggled from Qatar . He added that he had good reason to believe that a consignment of this liquor had been imported into Qatar in cases marked 'Saleh bin Mana' and that it was also sold in the Qatari bazaar . 28 Al Mana was an emissary of the Qatari ruler . 29 In other words, if Belgrave's description is true, another high official in Qatar dealt with alcohol . The sheikh's answer was : I felt surprised when I read your excellency esteemed and found strange what your excellency mentioned that a quantity of liquor of Goanese origin has arrived at Qatar from India, so far as I know Goa is situated in the Province of Baluchistan and I am quite certain that what your excellency heard in this respect is far from being true . In proof of this we have no direct contact with Goa or India ; nor has any of our countrycraft recently arrived from India or Baluchistan . You will therefore realize that the information received by your excellency is a false one, having no shade of truth . Your Excellency may also note that if the quantity referred to by you is an intoxicant drink, this would concern us much, as it is repugnant and condemned to us and our religious laws vehemently prohibits it, so that no one is allowed to import such things . The punishment for any one infringing is severe . For these reasons, no one can dare undertake this and it is not within the probability that it can spread in our country . Your Roderic Owen ,The GoldenBubble : ArabianGulf Documentary ( London : Collins, 1957 ) , p . 131 . 26 IOR / R / 15 / 2 / 1330 ] "From Political Agent, Bahrain to Sheikh ‘Abdull ā h bin Jā sim Āl Th ā n ī ," 7 May [ 27 . 1947 IOR / R / 15 / 2 / 1330 ] "Office of the Adviser to the Government, Bahrain to Political Agent, Bahrain", 16 [ 28 April 1947 . IOR / R / 15 / 2 / 611 ] Translation of letter from B . H . Lermitte to Saleh Al Mana, 20 November 1947 . [ 29
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אדמוני, אריאל
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