UAE WOMAN SCHOLAR SPEAKS UP

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002403

SIPDIS

STATE FOR DRL, NEA/PI, NEA/ARP, AND NEA/PPD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KWMN TC
SUBJECT: UAE WOMAN SCHOLAR SPEAKS UP



1. THE MFA INSTITUTE OF DIPLOMACY HOSTED DR. FATEMA AL-
SAYEGH, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AND CHAIRMAN OF THE HISTORY
DEPARTMENT IN THE COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL
SCIENCES AT UAE UNIVERSITY, FOR A SESSION ON UAE
HISTORY, CULTURE, TRADITION AND POLITICS, HELD FOR NEW
DIPLOMATS TO THE UAE ON JULY 3-4. SHE STARTED HER
SESSION BY SAYING THAT HER VIEWS "DO NOT NECESSARILY
REPRESENT THE INSTITUTE'S," AN INFREQUENTLY USED
OPENING REMARK IN A SESSION THAT TURNED OUT TO BE FRANK
AND REFRESHING.


2. AL-SAYEGH HAS WRITTEN SEVEN BOOKS ON THE UAE AND THE
GULF AREA, AND FREQUENTLY WRITES OPINION ARTICLES FOR
THE SHARJAH-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ". SHE HAS
TRAVELED TO THE U.S. ON A FULBRIGHT PROGRAM AND HAS
DONE ACADEMIC STUDIES AND RESEARCH AT THE CENTER FOR
MUSLIM/CHRISTIAN UNDERSTANDING AT GEORGETOWN
UNIVERSITY. DURING HER SESSION, AL-SAYEGH TALKED ABOUT
THE ORIGIN OF UAE CITIZENS, THE INFLUENCE AND POWER OF
THE TRIBAL SYSTEM, THE UAE FEDERATION, ISLAM,
LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION, WOMEN'S ISSUES, AND CULTURE AND
TRADITIONS.


3. AL SAYEGH, WHO IS FROM DUBAI, DESCRIBED THE UAE AS A
"LOOSE FEDERATION" WITH EACH EMIRATE HAVING ITS OWN
LAWS, ECONOMY AND FLAG (EXCEPT SHARJAH WHICH USES THE
UAE FLAG). SHE CRITICIZED DUBAI FOR ITS LAX
IMMIGRATION LAWS AND CALLED FOR A FEDERAL IMMIGRATION
LAW. DUBAI HAS DEVIATED FROM ITS CULTURE AND ROOTS,
AND HAS BECOME "A SIN CITY LIKE BEIRUT BEFORE THE CIVIL
WAR," SHE SAID. SHE DISCUSSED THE PROBLEMS THAT DUBAI
AND ABU DHABI FACED DURING THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF THE
FEDERATION AND HOW DUBAI HAD THREATENED TO LEAVE THE
FEDERATION.


4. AL-SAYEGH SPOKE ABOUT HOW EACH EMIRATE OBSERVES
ISLAM AND HOW SHARJAH AND RAS AL KHAIMAH OBSERVE STRICT
ISLAMIC REGULATIONS BECAUSE OF THEIR PAST RELATIONS
WITH THE SAUDI WAHHABIS. SHE DISCUSSED POST-9/11
OUTCOMES SUCH AS THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION'S REVISION
OF ITS CURRICULUM WITH THE AIM OF ELIMINATING ANYTHING
THAT ENCOURAGES INTOLERANCE AGAINST OTHER RELIGIONS.
WHILE SPEAKING ABOUT RELIGION, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS,
AL-SAYEGH TRIED TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN WHAT IS
CULTURAL AND WHAT IS ISLAMIC, AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT
EACH.


5. AL-SAYEGH DESCRIBED SHEIKH ZAYED AS BEING THE
STABILIZING FACTOR OF THE FEDERATION AND NOTED THAT
LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION REMAINS A CONCERN.


6. AL-SAYEGH SAID THAT UAE WOMEN ARE GRANTED EQUAL
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS UNDER THE UAE
CONSTITUTION, BUT THEY LACK POLITICAL RIGHTS. THIS
WILL START TO CHANGE IN THE FUTURE WHEN WOMEN BECOME
MEMBERS OF THE FEDERAL NATIONAL COUNCIL, SHE SAID. SHE
ADDED THAT UAE WOMEN ARE VIEWED BY OUTSIDERS AS "BMO'S
- BLACK MOVING OBJECTS", BUT IN REALITY THEY HAVE THE
POWER WITHIN THE NUCLEAR FAMILY TO RAISE THE CHILDREN,
AND DISCIPLINE THE HUSBAND.


7. COMMENT: AL-SAYEGH, WHO SPEAKS AND WRITES ABOUT
DEMOCRACY AND REFORM IN THE ARAB WORLD, IS ONE OF THE
UAE WOMEN WITH THE HIGHEST PUBLIC PROFILE. HER LECTURE
WAS ONE INDICATION OF A SOCIETY MOVING TOWARD MORE
FLEXIBILITY AND LESS CENSORSHIP OF SPEECH. HOWEVER, THE
THREE NEWSPAPERS THAT COVERED THE EVENT, ENGLISH
DAILIES KHALEEJ TIMES AND GULF NEWS, AND ARABIC DAILY
AL-BAYAN, EDITED OUT SEVERAL OF HER SHARPER COMMENTS, A
COMMON PRACTICE IN THE UAE.

ALBRIGHT