KUWAITI SHIITE POLITICAL BLOCS BUOYED BY WAVE OF

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001834 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARPI E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2015 TAGS: PREL PINR KISL KU SOLI SUBJECT: KUWAITI SHIITE POLITICAL BLOCS BUOYED BY WAVE OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS REF: A. KUWAIT 1406 ¶B. KUWAIT 0036 ¶C. 04 KUWAIT 3546 ¶D. 04 KUWAIT 1346 Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: The often mistrusted Shi'a population has slowly increased the intensity of its calls for reform since the liberation of Iraq, winning some concessions from the GOK, but losing ground in the face of active Salafi opposition. Although most Kuwaiti Shiites claim to identify themselves first and foremost as Kuwaitis, institutionalized discrimination and a rise in Sunni extremism have combined to ensure that sectarian interests are rarely absent in Shi'a political and economic calculations. Despite holding just five of fifty seats in the National Assembly, Shiite political blocs have remained active in Kuwaiti political life, and have organized themselves into formidable forces for the advancement of Shia rights. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Spurred largely by the liberation of Iraq and the resulting empowerment of Iraq's Shi'a majority, Kuwaiti Shi'a have been increasingly active in their calls for an expansion of Shiite rights, and their efforts have yielded significant successes. Over the past two years, the GOK has approved a larger than usual number of Shiite mosque applications, allowed for a public reenactment of the battle of Karbala during Ashoura in 2004, established a Waqf based upon Shiite Maliki jurisprudence, (Note: Waqfs are religious endowments governed by Islamic rules. End Note.) and allowed Shiite clerics more airtime on state television during Ramadan and other religious holidays. ¶3. (S) The changes have been sought and won by an increasingly active and expanding Shi'a political community, which includes five members of Kuwait's 50 member National Assembly, two of whom replaced hardline Shiite predecessors during the 2003 election cycle. Although formal parties are not provided for under Kuwait's 1962 constitution, there are at least four Shiite political groupings active in Kuwaiti political life: National Islamic Alliance (NIA): Considered extremists within the broader Shi'a community, the members of the National Islamic Alliance are known to be supporters of the Iranian regime and believers in the principle of 'welayat e faqih.' (Note: Welayat e faqih, also sometimes spelled velayat e faquih, is rule by a religious leader known as the faqih. The principle forms the basic underpinning of the system of government in the Islamic Republic of Iran, where the faqih -- currently Ayatollah Sayid Ali Khamenei -- is also known as the Supreme Leader. End Note.) According to a knowledgeable Shiite political analyst, NIA is made up of "hardliners" who "always express the Iranian point of view." Historically, NIA has been one of the most active of Kuwait's Shiite political blocs. After Kuwait's liberation from Iraq, the NIA sought the role of mouthpiece of Kuwaiti Shi'a and was even successful in enlisting moderates such as current MP Yousef Al-Zalzalah, who does not share NIA's extreme views and left shortly thereafter in 1992. Prominent members of NIA include ousted MPs Dr. Abdul Mohsen Jamal, Adnan Abdulsamid and Dr. Nasser Sarkoh, and former Municipal Council member Ahmed Lari. Although still active, NIA's credibility was greatly damaged during the 2003 election cycle, when moderates Saleh Ashour and Dr. Yousef Zalzah, both Shi'a, swept their candidates out of office. Shiite Clerics Congregation: Founded by outspoken Shiite Cleric Sayed Mohammed Bakr Al-Mohri in 2000, this grouping has worked consistently and vocally for the expansion of Shi'a political rights, mostly through Al-Mohri's editorials and television appearances. The bloc does not appear to have a clear platform other than the advancement of sectarian interests, and according to some Kuwaiti political observers may have links to Iran. They have no representation in the National Assembly. Islamic National Consensus Movement (INCM): Founded in 2001 and supported by a broad range of moderate Kuwaiti Shiites, INCM believes in pluralism and diversity. Led by its U.S educated Secretary General, Dr. Nizar J. Mulla-Joma, the INCM held its annual conference on April 25, where speakers preached "the rejection of extremism" and called for sectarian unity. Although one observer claims the group at one time "shyfully" adopted the principle of 'welayat e faqih,' post is unable to confirm this. Peace and Justice Grouping: The Peace and Justice Grouping, founded in 2003, is based on the nonviolent teachings of Imam Shirazi, stressing pluralism, respect for democracy and consitutional government. Led by Secretary General Abdul Hussein Al-Sultan, Peace and Justice claim to have no outside political links and throughly reject 'welayat e faqih.' ¶4. (C) In addition to established political blocs, Kuwait's six living former Shiite Ministers have informally banded together to advise younger Shi'a on how to best engage in the political process. Former Minister of Oil Abdulmuttaleb Al-Kazemi told Poloff April 19 that the time for his group's actions had come "because there is now light at the end of the tunnel" for Shi'a, region-wide. Citing the liberation of Iraq as "90 percent" of the motivation for the timing of his re-engagement in the political process, and thanking the U.S. for its role in supporting political reform in the region, Al Kazemi said he became "fed up" with the lack of Shi'a political advances over the past two decades and decided to act. Al Kazemi said the Shia population was still suffering under an unofficial but well-established policy of discrimination developed in the early eighties, when the loyalty of all Shi'a was questioned due to fears that Iran would export its Islamic Revolution. ¶5. (C) Largely restricted from positions deemed critical to national security, such as in Kuwait State Security and the National Guard, and discriminated against religiously and politically, Kuwait's Shi'a have generally operated in the economic realm without restriction. A number of large Shiite families -- Dashti, Behbehani, Marafie, Bhukamseen, Al-Wazzan and others -- have leveraged their positions as members of the Kuwaiti urban elite to amass huge fortunes. (Note: Those families that lived inside the old city walls prior to the discovery of oil are considered to be of the urban elite by many Kuwaitis. They often refer to themselves as 'real Kuwaitis,' in an effort to emphasize their distinction from the desert-dwelling bedouins, many of whose families arrived in Kuwait much later. End Note.) Although they have a heavy presence in some economic sectors (hotels being one of the most prominent examples),there is no prominent Shiite news daily. However, post assesses that local dailies do cover Shiite issues fairly and acurately. ¶6. (C) Although Shiite groups have made great strides in recent years and in the long term will probably continue to do so, the GOK's struggle against extremist elements has pitted the rights of Shi'a against vocal opposition from conservative Sunni elements, the most extreme of which consider the entire Shi'a sect infidels. In its effort to appease Salafi elements, the GOK allowed the January 2005 grilling by Islamist MPs and subsequent resignation of Shiite Information Minister Mohammed Abulhassan (ref. b),leaving Shiites without representation in the cabinet for the first time since 1975. In addition, the GOK curbed some of the freedoms it had granted in 2004, denying the Shiite Clerics Congregation's request to again stage a public reenactment of the Battle of Karbala in 2005. ¶7. (C) The April, 2005 call for the resignation of Health Minister Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Jarallah, spearheaded by Shiite MPs and an Awazim tribal MP -- both groups which currently lack representation in the cabinet -- was seen by some as an attempt by the Shia to force open a vacancy which could then be filled by one of their members (ref. b). The GOK has not yet named a new Minister, although Shiite MP Dr. Yousef Al-Zalzalah, who is known to have refused two cabinet positions previously offered him, is widely spoken of as a possible candidate. ¶8. (C) Comment: Despite the current standoff between the GOK and Islamist elements, and infrequent attempts by PM Shaykh Sabah to curry favor with Sunni conservatives by dragging his feet on Shiite requests, Kuwait's Shi'a are likely to make significant gains, as long as there is cause for optimism in Iraq and a continued focus on regional reform. At a recent Shiite political gathering, Poloff was approached by a former minister, who thanked the U.S. for the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon. "None of this would have happened without the United States," he said. ¶8. (U) Baghdad Minimize Considered. ********************************************* Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website ********************************************* LEBARON