Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06JEDDAH430
2006-06-20 13:18:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Jeddah
Cable title:  

CHRISTIAN WORSHIP IN SAUDI ARABIA: ETHIOPIAN &

Tags:  PGOV PHUM SOCI KIRF SA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4957
PP RUEHDE
DE RUEHJI #0430/01 1711318
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 201318Z JUN 06
FM AMCONSUL JEDDAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9255
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1421
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1499
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 6584
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000430 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP;
DEPARTMENT FOR DRL/IRF - PLEASE PASS TO AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE
JOHN HANFORD; PARIS FOR ZEYA; LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI KIRF SA
SUBJECT: CHRISTIAN WORSHIP IN SAUDI ARABIA: ETHIOPIAN &
ERITREAN CHRISTIANS ARRESTED AND DETAINED IN JEDDAH

REF: A. JEDDAH 237


B. JEDDAH 308

C. JEDDAH 328

D. JEDDAH 346

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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000430

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP;
DEPARTMENT FOR DRL/IRF - PLEASE PASS TO AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE
JOHN HANFORD; PARIS FOR ZEYA; LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI KIRF SA
SUBJECT: CHRISTIAN WORSHIP IN SAUDI ARABIA: ETHIOPIAN &
ERITREAN CHRISTIANS ARRESTED AND DETAINED IN JEDDAH

REF: A. JEDDAH 237


B. JEDDAH 308

C. JEDDAH 328

D. JEDDAH 346

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


1. (C) SUMMARY. The Consul General and ConGenOffs are
conducting a long-term inquiry into Christian worship in
Jeddah (reftel). Recently, AmConGen Jeddah learned that four
Ethiopian and Eritrean Christians were arrested and detained
on June 9 when they were worshipping at "Faith Rhema Church",
a Protestant Evangelical church in Jeddah. ConGenOff was
able to speak with the Church's pastor, Mekbeb Telahun, who
is currently being held at Breman prison in Jeddah.
ConGenOff spoke with Pastor Telahun on his mobile phone,
which he has been permitted to retain while incarcerated.
Pastor Telahun confirmed initial reports provided to AmConGen
Jeddah by DRL/IRF about his own arrest and the arrest and
detention of one of his church's elders and two teachers.
(NOTE: Consul General met with one of the two detained
teachers in December 2005 for an unrelated matter.) The
pastor further reported that the Ethiopian Consulate in
Jeddah is working on their case. He was not immediately
concerned for his personal safety and suggested that he was
not being mistreated by Saudi prison officers. Pastor
Telahun's greatest concern is being deported back to
Ethiopia. END SUMMARY.

INITIAL REPORT FROM DRL/IRF CONTACT


2. (C) On June 13, AmConGen Jeddah received an initial report
from DRL/IRF that stated that four Ethiopian and Eritrean
Christian worshipers had been arrested on Friday, June 9th at
an Ethiopian/Eritrean Christian worship service being held in
a private building near the Indian Consulate in Jeddah. The
report further stated that approximately 300 to 250
Christians were worshipping together at the time that
approximately twenty "Saudi 'security' men with sticks" and

without uniforms entered the building as the congregation was
praying and singing. While the Saudis came in shouting at
the congregation, they were largely ignored by the worshipers
"because it was during the time of praise and worship and
prayer". The Saudi security men then sat down with the other
worshipers to listen to the prayer and an interpreter was
brought forward by the church leaders to translate the sermon
into Arabic.


3. (C) According to the report, which was obtained by a
DRL/IRF source in Saudi Arabia, the "security men" told the
entire congregation to leave the building, except for one
pastor, one elder, and two teachers. The four men identified
were Pastor Mekbeb Telahun, Elder Fekre Gebremedhin, Teacher
Dawit Okbe, and Teacher Messay Yewondwossen. While no one
was physically harmed during the raid, the security forces
ransacked the building and confiscated Christian books and
money that they found. When the raid wa over, the security
men took the keys to the rented building, turned off the
electricity, and locked the door. When some worshipers
returned to the building the next day, security forces were
there and told them never to come back.

REPORT CONFIRMED


4. (C) On June 19, ConGenOff was able to obtain the name of
the church to which Pastor Telahun belongs. It is a
well-established and well-organized "store front" church in
Jeddah called "Faith Rhema Church". ConGenOff was also able
to obtain the pastor's mobile phone number. Much to her
surprise, when ConGenOff called the number, Pastor Telahun
himself answered the phone. Understanding that this was not
a secure line, ConGenOff identified herself to Pastor Telahun
as a representative of AmConGen Jeddah and, without
referencing his arrest or the information she had been
provided, asked him how he was doing. Without prompting,
Pastor Telahun proceeded to confirm the initial reports
provided by DRL/IRF as outlined above. He spoke freely,
though in a soft tone, and explained that he was permitted to
keep his mobile phone while in jail.


5. (C) Pastor Telahun further confirmed that he was being

JEDDAH 00000430 002 OF 002


held at Breman prison in Jeddah and had been there for
approximately eight days. He was previously with the other
three detainees at a local police station for the first three
days after their arrest and then for one day at what he
described as "a secret police station". Pastor Telahun
confirmed that the other three detainees were being held at
"Tarheel Prison #3" in Jeddah. He did not indicate whether
or not he had spoken to them directly. When asked
specifically by ConGenOff, the pastor said that he was not
being mistreated in prison, but added that he was worried
about being deported back to Ethiopia. He said that someone
from the Ethiopian Consulate General in Jeddah had come to
see him and was working on his case. ConGenOff did not ask
any further questions.


6. (C) NOTE. The initial report from DRL/IRF to AmConGen
Jeddah about the above-detailed arrests has not been
confirmed by any other independent sources, but ConGenOff has
no reason to doubt Pastor Telahun's testimony. Please advise
post if any further action is required. END NOTE.

AN UNOFFICIAL RAID?


7. (C) DRL/IRF's initial report from its source inside Saudi
Arabia indicated that the raid on Faith Rhema might not have
been officially sanctioned by the government because the week
before the raid, on June 2, "uniformed government officers"
had come to services with mutowah (religious police),had
seen them worshipping, and told the church that "they were
fine" before departing the premises. Pastor Telahun did not
refer to this point and so it remains unconfirmed. DRL/IRF
contact's initial report also indicated that the detainees
were particularly concerned about being deported and returned
to their home countries of Ethiopia and Eritrea where they
would also face charges for practicing Christianity and
likely be incarcerated. While ConGenOff did not directly
confirm this with the pastor during their conversation, this
is consistent with his statement that he was worried about
being deported.


8. (C) COMMENT. It is unclear to post why Pastor Telahun or
the other men would be concerned about facing further
retribution in Ethiopia for being practicing Christians,
particularly given the fact that Christian Evangelical groups
are on the rise in Ethiopia. We can only speculate that the
pastor would be identified as belonging to a splinter
Protestant group and, therefore, is concerned about reprisal
in Ethiopia. That said, it is more likely that these men
fear deportation because they are gainfully employed in Saudi
Arabia and, more importantly, because they are fully
committed to "spreading the Christian word of God" in Saudi
Arabia. END COMMENT.

CG MET ETHIOPIAN TEACHER IN DECEMBER 2005


9. (C) The Consul General met with Messay Yewondwossen, one
of the two detained teachers, in December 2005 when he
applied for a job on her household staff. He is a tall but
very unassuming and gentle young Ethiopian man who, in
soft-spoken words, confided in the CG that his main purpose
for being in Saudi Arabia is to serve "the church".
Unmarried, Mr. Yewondwoseen discussed at length his
commitment to his fellow worshipers and presented a letter of
reference from Pastor Telahun on Faith Rhema Church
letterhead. Mr. Yewondwossen was then working as a salesman
in Jeddah for a local trade establishment. He was looking
for an alternative, as his Saudi employer often failed to pay
him for work performed for weeks on end. He expressed his
indifference about the particular job he would do at the
Consulate, so long as it kept him in Jeddah where he could
continue his work with the church and provided him with a
minimal salary to support his basic needs.


Gfoeller