UNCLAS DUBAI 001455

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV SOCI AE
SUBJECT: HEAD OF DUBAI WOMEN'S SHELTER NOT INTIMIDATED BY CRITICS

REF: A) 05 DUBAI 6033; B) 05 DUBAI 6399


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Sharla Musabih, head of an independent women's
shelter in Dubai, dismissed recent public criticism of her
shelter by a prominent Sunni cleric, saying it was not a threat
to her operation. She said she was trying to schedule a meeting
with him to discuss the matter further. The Dubai Police and the
Dubai Naturalization and Residence Department continue to
support Musabih's shelter, but the Dubai Department of Islamic
Affairs has requested she register with them or cease
operations. End summary


2. (SBU) Sharla Musabih, founder and head of an independent
women's shelter in Dubai, met with PolEconoff on March 8 to
discuss an article about her operation in the previous day's
edition of "7 Days," an English language daily from Dubai. In
the article, Sheikh Ahmad Al Kubaisi, a prominent Iraqi Sunni
scholar and TV commentator who lives in Dubai, accused Musabih
of encouraging women to rebel against their husbands. "If every
woman hit by her husband is encouraged to rebel, the sanctity of
marriage would disappear from society," Al Kubaisi told the
media. Musabih told poloff she would not be intimidated by
Kubaisi and in fact was trying to schedule a meeting with him to
discuss his views and explain the role her shelter plays in
Dubai. It was her opinion that such public attacks only served
to increase her support from the government and the progressive
elements of society.


3. (U) As reported Ref A, both the Dubai Police and the Dubai
Naturalization and Residence Department (DNRD) provide some
funding for Musabih's shelter, and they (like the Consulate)
continue to refer abused women to the shelter. The commander of
the Dubai Police and the head of DNRD recognized Musabih and her
work in a December 2005 ceremony (reftel B). (Note: An earlier
article, in the Arabic daily Al Bayan, reported falsely that
Musabih was funded by the USG.)


4. (SBU) Musabih's shelter has never been licensed, though she
has told us she has applied for a license. Musabih said that
the Dubai Department of Islamic Affairs (DDIA) had recently sent
her a letter requesting she cease operation of the shelter until
she registered with DDIA. Musabih said that she intended to meet
with the DDIA in the near future.

Comment
--------------


5. (SBU) Musabih, an American who is married to a UAE national,
views herself -- accurately in our assessment -- as a pioneer
in social issues in the UAE. She seems to enjoy being the
center of controversy, and is frequently mentioned in the press
and on local radio. While her confrontational manner is
perceived by some to be jarring in the local context, no one
else in Dubai (or the UAE) is consistently providing the
important social services she offers, free of charge, to women
and children who are victims of abuse.

DAVIS