JEDDAH JOURNAL 9: MEDINA IMAM SUSPENDED, FASHION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000263

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP;
PARIS FOR ZEYA; LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/29/2015
TAGS: ECON KISL KWMN PREL SA SOCI
SUBJECT: JEDDAH JOURNAL 9: MEDINA IMAM SUSPENDED, FASHION
SHOW, NON-ISLAMIC SYMBOL, STOCKS CONTINUE TO CAPTIVATE
SAUDIS, AND TROUBLING VOICES FROM SAUDI MEDIA

REF: O5 JEDDAH 4994

Classified By: Consul General Tatiana Gfoeller, for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

IMAM SUSPENDED FOR OPPOSING WOMEN'S RIGHTS?


1. (C) Over the weekend rumors were circulating in Jeddah
that the Imam of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, the second
largest in Saudi Arabia after the Haram in Mecca, was
suspended on Friday by an official decree. The rumored
reason for this suspension is that in his Friday sermon, he
spoke disparagingly about women's rights and hailed the
Shoura Council for refusing to discuss the issue of women
driving.

THREE GRACES FASHION SHOW


2. (C) The Consul General recently attended a fashion show
which casts a curious light on attitudes in Saudi Arabia.
The models were non-professional Saudi and American women.
The show started with a series of unveiled Saudi women
wearing fashionable Saudi-designed clothes. The demure Saudi
models resembled the typical idea of a fashion model: young,
attractive, thin bordering on anorexic, and affecting a
haughty demeanor which could be mistaken as dour. They
sauntered down the runway to the accompaniment of blaring
Arab music. The American women who followed presented a
startling contrast. The three Americans, all members of the
resident American community, were well past middle age and
could not, even by the most charitable person present, be
described by any word connoting thinness. Their march down
the aisle was heralded by American music with a definite
beat. After the American trio reached the stage, they began
to dance with a vigor that could be considered wanton in a
nation which frowns on all forms of theatricals.
Astonishingly, these unseemly American dancers were quickly
joined on stage by the previously melancholy Arab models who
were soon smiling and gyrating in time to the music. Reform
and self-expression may be slow in coming to Saudi Arabia,
but it appears that many in Jeddah are only too ready to
party.

UN-ISLAMIC SYMBOLS APPEAR IN JEDDAH


3. (C) In an effort to extirpate pagan and un-Islamic ideas
from the Kingdom, imams frequently preach against irreligious
symbols and festivals. Christmas and Valentine's Day receive
more than their share of these denunciations, because of the
commercial publicity surrounding them. Nevertheless, as post
has reported (reftel),occasional symbols of these
"heretical" events creep into the Kingdom. Recently, at a
forum sponsored by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (JCCI),for small businessmen interested in the
effects of WTO on the business environment, Pol/Econ Chief
chanced to observe among the refreshments an elegant,
heart-shaped cake covered in red frosting and decorated with
delicate red roses and green leaves. While this suggests
that the JCCI and/or the caterer had no qualms about
displaying the universally recognized symbol of a pagan
festival, it may also have demonstrated the effectiveness of
the religious prohibition, since this creation did not appear
at table until late March. Pol/Econ Chief did not have the
time, nor it must be confessed, the stomach to determine if
this symbol of pagan lust was freshly baked or the discounted
remnant of a baker's unsuccessful attempt to cash in on the
previous holiday.

STOCK MARKET ECLIPSING ALL OTHER SUBJECTS FOR CONVERSATION


4. (C) Although the Saudi stock market has been experiencing
oscillations that have put-off a portion of the population,
it remains the prime topic of conversation, to the exclusion
of almost all else. At a recent dinner engagement, the CG
was told by a woman that she was becoming tired of the stock
market monopolizing all debate. Whereas, the woman recalled,
only a few months ago, dinner talk was filled with debate
about the prospects for and direction of reform, women
driving, and the new king, now she complained, all anyone
talked about was the stock exchange and share prices.


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STOCK EXCHANGE DOMINATES THE OFFICE, AS WELL


5. (C) Pol/Econ Chief received similar evidence that the
stock market craze has not been dimmed by the recent
fluctuations experienced by the exchange. He recently met
with the senior staff of the Presidency of Meteorology and
Environment in Jeddah, in the office of the Vice President.
This official's office contained a wall with five television
sets set in it. The televisions were tuned to a variety of
local and international cable stations. Perhaps it was
random, but the large-screen television in the center of the
display was tuned to the stock quotations. And it seemed
that several of the officials present at the periphery of the
discussion cast furtive glances at the screen every now and
then.

WEBSITE ACCUSES U.S. EMBASSY OF BRIBING JOURNALISTS


6. (C) On March 28, the Arabic-language web-site Sahat
contained an exchange that accused the U.S. Embassy of
bribing journalists and planting stories in the media. A
very rough translation of the dialogue is:

March 28 Abu Khawla:

The U.S. Embassy and the agents in Saudi Arabia:
Here I will put the latest flash news about the dangerous
fact that some of our patriotic people have been paid by the
Embassy. I am referring to writers, journalists and some
high caliber people. Tomorrow is very soon (which refers
that the truth will come out soon.)
At present, there is a boiling debate running between one of
the preachers and a writer concerning the issue of donations
and gifts from the American Embassy.
For whom, what role do they play and what kind of danger will
harm us, present and future?

Saqr Al Riyadh replied: I don't believe it.

Allwazaei added: In some countries, like Egypt for instance,
they leaked their news. In our own country, not yet. Why
don't we start the exposure? Let's start with
editors-in-chief. They are easily exposed.

NEWSPAPER COMMENTARY BEMOANS HATE-FILLED SAUDI SOCIETY.


7. (C) In a commentary in the March 27 edition of the ARAB
NEWS, titled "Why Is There So Much Hate Inside Us?" writer
and teacher Abdullah Al-Mutairi bewails the hate and cruelty
exhibited by Saudi society. He relates stories of foreign
residents, including Muslims, being harassed and beaten by
Saudi youths. Youths in his class confess that they derive
pleasure from attacking foreigners and abusing animals. He
also recounts incidents in which adults denigrate and shun
those from different regions or tribes. He describes a
teacher colleague who insisted "that a student lacking a
tribal name is a man with no roots and hence of no
importance." He also tells of an imam who warned students
after 9-11 not to deal with non-Muslims. Al-Mutairi comments
these "beliefs and thoughts toward 'others' which glorify us
and our egos and degrade them and others. Such a situation
is fertile ground for the idea of hate and infertile ground
for the idea of love." Comment: This distressing article
accentuates that Saudi Arabian society continues to be
xenophobic, intolerant, and violent and substantial
educational and social reform must occur before this society
will accept outsiders on a basis of equality. End Comment.
Gfoeller