Mss Eur F126/39, ff 11-14

Letter concerning the Jennat Khana (house of assembly) of the Khoja community at Muttrah [Matrah] near Muscat and enclosing copies of correspondence and translations relating to the matter which Pelly considers to be a delicate issue with social, political and religious considerations to be taken into account.

The matter concerns the ownership of the Jennat Khana at Muttrah which is used as a public guest house for members of the Sect of Khoja's travelling between Kerbella, Hindoostan [Hindustan] and Africa. Agha Khan [Aga Khan], as spiritual head of the religion is considered to be the lawful owner of the guest house and the dispute is over the decision of the late Imam Azzan bin Ghais to confiscate the building and hand it over to a group of followers who had seceded from the Agha Khan's religious leadership, as well as the current Imam of Muscat's decision to approve of his predecessors actions.

The seceders, who believe they have purchased the building legitimately, have since consecrated it as a Musjed [Masjid] (a mosque) and as such it cannot be 'desecrated by conversion into a Guest House'. The Imam of Muscat sees the building as a Musjed and would not dare to interfere with it, and does not believe that the building was ever the property of Agha Khan.