Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): In the second part of its research, entitled "Sheikh Isa Qassim and the King...The Missing Picture", Bahrain Mirror published details on an important document from the British archives, which Awal Centre for Studies and Documentation got a hold of and which Bahrain Mirror has exclusively looked into.

The document reveals significant information about the case of the prominent Shiite leader, Sheikh Khalaf Al-Asfour, during the 1920s and 1930s.

This is considered the first time in which details of this document are revealed, noting that a number of translated documents will be issued with the rest of the British archives about Bahrain this year as part of a first-of-kind project.

The document issued in March 1927 says that the former ruler Hamad bin Isa bin Isa (who ruled from 1842-1923) conspired to depose the Shia judge and senior leader at the time, Sheikh Khalaf Al-Asfour, from his post, which was the first post of its kind to be recognized by the government. The document, a letter from the British resident in the Gulf to his minister of foreign affairs, says that the resident hesitated to accept the ruler's demand to remove Sheikh Khalaf, for being the biggest supporter of the reforms of Major Daly that led to toppling the rule of Isa bin Hamad who persecuted the Shia.

The document also unveils connecting links regarding the mysterious circumstances, under which Sheikh Khalaf was dismissed and exiled to Iraq.

Awal Centre for Studies and Documentation is a Bahraini institution established in London in 2012. It is concerned with Gulf issues in general and Bahraini issues in particular. It aims at preserving the Bahraini national memory by documenting all typewritten and digital records linked to this memory and keeping pace with emerging events.

In addition to the project of translating the British records, Awal Centre launched on May 2, 2016 an "Online Search Engine" that comprises about 40,000 documents. The centre also published a number of political publications and books on social issues; a translation of "After the Sheikhs" book by Christopher Davidson and a translation of "Group Conflict and Political Mobilization in Bahrain and the Arab Gulf" book by Justin Gengler. Awal also republished Fouad Khoury's book "The Tribe and the State", and other books by Bahraini and Gulf researchers, including "Texts of Monstrosity" by Dr. Ali Al-Dairy, "DAI'SH (ISIS): From Najdi to Baghdadi...Nostalgia of Caliphate" by Fouad Ibrahim, as well as a series of researches and studies about the history, politics and literature in Bahrain and the Gulf.

The collection of volumes, to be issued by Awal Centre, is a translation of the Records of Bahrain from the British archives. It recounts the incidents witnessed in Bahrain in particular, and the Gulf in general from 1820 to 1971. The collection also includes a large number of cables and communications between Bahrain and other parties, including the British Government, British Residency and the Persian and Turkish governments.

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