ACTIVIST DISMISSED AS UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT CHAIR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000428

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2015
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KPAO BA
SUBJECT: ACTIVIST DISMISSED AS UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT CHAIR


Classified By: DCM Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

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Summary
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1. (C) Dr. Abduljalil Singace, a board member of the Shi'a
opposition Al Wifaq political society, was removed as chair
of the mechanical engineering department at the
government-run University of Bahrain March 15. The
university issued a statement saying that Singace was removed
because he traveled overseas and missed lectures without
permission and was not available for students and faculty as
a department chair. Singace, who acknowledges that he used
several sick days to visit to the U.S. and UK on a campaign
against the GOB in December 2004, claims the demotion was
politically motivated. Singace remains a lecturer at the
university. End Summary.

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Unauthorized trip to U.S./UK creates controversy
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2. (SBU) In January 2005, the president of the
government-run University of Bahrain, Dr. Sheikha Miriam Al
Khalifa, formed a committee to investigate Singace for
traveling abroad without permission and using sick leave for
personal use on a December 2004 trip to the U.S. and UK.
(Note: The GOB requires all government officials, including
university professors, to get authorization before going
overseas if they will represent the GOB abroad or if they are
traveling during official duty time. End Note.) On March
15, the president of the university informed Singace that he
would be removed as chair of the department of mechanical
engineering, a position he had held since 2002. The
university announced his replacement on March 16.


3. (C) A board member of leading Shi'a opposition group Al
Wifaq and a member of several civil society organizations,
Singace acknowledges he did not seek permission from the
university to travel to the U.S. and UK in December 2004. He
claims that he did not legally require the university's
permission as he did not represent the university overseas
and did not travel during official duty time. During four
days of his trip, however, he was on sick leave. He told
PolOff that he was not feeling well enough to work at the
university, but his doctor recommended that he travel anyway.
During the trip, Singace met with a number of U.S. and
British government officials and civil society organizations
and spoke out against GOB policies and the royal family.

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University defends its action
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4. (C) On March 20, the university's public relations
department issued a lengthy statement documenting the
step-by-step progression of the case. It detailed Singace's
unauthorized absences from class and from his duties as
department chair and indicated the series of actions taken by
the university. The statement notes that Singace had been
chair of the mechanical engineering department since 2002,
and the university had kept him in the position when his term
expired in 2004, pointing to this as proof that his removal
was not politically motivated. The statement accused Singace
of acting as if he is above the university's regulations.

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Singace claims university wanted to keep him quiet
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5. (C) Singace issued a counter statement to the press March
20 rejecting the University's claims. In the conversation
with PolOff, he said the GOB had been looking for a way to
keep him quiet. Following his trip in December, the
president of the university had summoned him and said that
she was under severe pressure from above and could not
tolerate his double status as activist and academic. He said
that Ministry of Interior officials had warned him about his
involvement in political activities in Bahrain and abroad.
Singace told PolOff he was considering legal action against
the university.

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Singace rejects human rights group's offer to help
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6. (C) The Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS),led
by Shura Council member Faisal Fuladh, met with the Minister
of Education and university officials March 17 to act as a
mediator in Singace's case. Two days later, Singace issued a
statement saying that he rejected the involvement of the
BHRWS. Fuladh told PolOff he was shocked to hear this as
Singace had asked his organization to get involved. Fuladh
suspected Singace was under pressure from other activists who
do not trust Fuladh and his organization.

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Comment
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7. (C) Singace is well known for his political views and is
considered a hardliner even by many of his friends and fellow
activists. He is an especially tough critic of the royal
family and seeks to gather support against the GOB overseas.
While it is likely that Singace's demotion was politically
motivated, it appears that the university broke the norm --
but not the rule -- in conducting an investigation and
punishing Singace for his unapproved absence. Numerous
professors at the university are involved in the activities
of Al Wifaq and human rights organizations, and the
university has not generally interfered.

MONROE