JEDDAH JOURNAL 15: JCCI TURMOIL ENDS; CONVICTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JEDDAH 000453

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2016
TAGS: EAIR ECON KISL KWMN PREL SA SOCI
SUBJECT: JEDDAH JOURNAL 15: JCCI TURMOIL ENDS; CONVICTION
OF SAUDI IN U.S. CONDEMNED AS ISLAMOPHOBIA; WIFE PROCURES
SECOND WIFE FOR HUSBAND; BUSINESSWOMEN ORGANIZING; LIBYAN
AIRLINE LANDS IN JEDDAH; FOOTBALL AND SAUDI YOUTH; WEBSITE
INSTRUCTS JIHADISTS

REF: JEDDAH 427

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

NEW CHAIRMAN OF JCCI NOMINATED


1. (U) Ending several months of controversy (reftel),the
Consulate learned from a contact on July 1, that embattled
Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) Chairman,
Engineer Abdullah Yehia Al-Moallemi, had resigned, formally
citing a disagreement over management style with the Board as
the reason. Surprisingly, Moallemi resigned his seat as a
member of the Board of Directors, as well. The consensus is
that Salah Bin Ali al-Turki will be the new Chairman and
Sheikh Abdul Khaliq Said will be appointed to fill the
remainder of Moallemi's term on the Board, if approved by the
Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

CONVICTION OF SAUDI FOR ABUSE IN AMERICA BRINGS CHARGES OF
"ISLAMOPHOBIA" IN SAUDI ARABIA


2. (U) The July 2 edition of the English language "Saudi
Gazette" carried the story of Homaidan Al-Turki who had been
convicted in Colorado for sexually abusing a young Indonesian
maid and keeping her prisoner in his house for four years.
However, appended to the wire-service story was a lengthy
segment describing the conviction as another example of
American "Islamophobia."


3. (C) The local version of the article quoted Sultan
Al-Angari, who is described as a Saudi writer and expert in
criminal law, condemning the conviction as an example of
religious and cultural discrimination. Al-Angari said "The
man (Al-Turki) looks so religious and was accompanied by his
wife to the US, making it almost impossible for him to commit
such a crime because no wife would ever accept such a thing."
After presenting this reasoned defense of al-Turki he
attacked the maid's veracity, and then asserted: "Accusing a
Muslim man of such a crime is meant to humiliate him as well
as Muslims all over the world. Everyone knows Islam's stand
on both rape and adultery." He also suggested that the trial
was politically motivated. COMMENT: Clearly, this Saudi
expert in criminal law does not read the domestic papers
which are replete with accounts of rape and sexual abuse of
Asian domestics, often in the presence of cowed Saudi wives.
But from the broader perspective, this is another example of
the growing and troubling trend for Muslims to dismiss any
criticism of or wrong-doing by Muslims as Islamophobia. END
COMMENT.

U.S. PREJUDICE JUSTIFIES CANCELING SCHOLARSHIPS


4. (U) Al Angari censured the Colorado jurors as well. "The
jury are common people who might be affected by the media as
well as the recent attempts to damage the image of Muslims in
the West." Al-Angari then called on the Saudi government to
suspend its program of providing scholarships to students to
study in America, complaining that "if this is what happened
to a mature, well-educated, married man, what could happen to
teenagers coming from such a closed society?" Mansour
Ghawani, identified in the article as head of the graduate
studies department at Taiba University, also called from
Saudi students to seek education outside of the United
States, saying "We have to limit the scholarships to the U.S.
We have to protect our children, even if it means shutting
down scholarship programs."

FAMILY WEBSITE RALLIES SUPPORTERS WITH CRY OF CULTURAL
PREJUDICE


5. (C) According to the report, the al-Turki family has
established a website rallying supporters with allegations of
prejudice. One unidentified Saudi lawyer is reported as
stating that in this case the prosecutors overlooked Saudi
and Islamic culture. "The case," the lawyer asserted, "would
have been completely different if the case was looked at
without discrimination or prejudice." COMMENT: Apparently,
Saudis reading the article, cannot understand how people in

JEDDAH 00000453 002 OF 003

SUBJECT: JEDDAH JOURNAL 15: JCCI TURMOIL ENDS; CONVICTION
OF SAUDI IN U.S. CONDEMNED AS ISLAMOPHOBIA; WIFE PROCURES
SECOND WIFE FOR HUSBAND; BUSINESSWOMEN ORGANIZING; LIBYAN
AIRLINE LANDS IN JEDDAH; FOOTBALL AND SAUDI YOUTH; WEBSITE
INSTRUCTS JIHADISTS

the United States could suspect any wrong doing within a
family that admitted they allowed their maid to sleep on a
mattress in an unfinished basement and paid her more than
$1.50 a day. END COMMENT.

FIRST WIFE RECRUITS SECOND WIFE


6. (U) Jeddah Political Assistant forwarded a story
originating from Jizan, near the Yemen border. According to
the source, a 30 year-old Saudi woman with 3 children
residing in that city, proposed to a second wife on behalf of
her husband. The prospective bride asked for a large dowry
and the first wife is reported to have willingly sold all of
her jewelry to pay the dowry. The husband, who had been cool
to the idea of taking a second wife, relented at that point
and recently married the proffered bride. COMMENT: One is
forced to wonder if the motive for this generous act was to
procure a young wife for the husband or peace and quiet for
the first wife. END COMMENT.

JEDDAH BUSINESSWOMEN COMING TOGETHER


7. (U) Saudi Arabian businesswomen are demonstrating
remarkable activity and organization. Not only is the JCCI
providing a semi-official source for cooperation at its
Khadeejah Bint Khuwailed Women's Center (KBK) under its new
director (septel),but the consulate has just heard that the
former General Manager of KBK, Nadia Baa'shen, and Samira
Bitar, owner of "2gether Marketing," are trying to found the
first Saudi Businesswomen's Association.

LIBYAN AIRLINE TO CONNECT JEDDAH WITH WEST AFRICA


8. (U) The "Arab News" on June 29 carried a short note
stating that Mohamed Elmeshkhy, General Director for Saudi
Arabia, for newly-established, privately-owned Afriqiyah
Airways, which is based in Libya, will now offer two flights
per week between Jeddah and West African destinations through
their hub in Tripoli. From Tripoli, flights will also be
available to Europe. Elmeshkhy also announced that Afriqiyah
has an "interline agreement" with Saudia to route West
African travelers to Asian cities.

SAUDI YOUTHS TO BE SAVED FROM CORRUPTING EFFECTS OF FOOTBALL


9. (U) A brief article in Asharq Alawsat last week reported
that the Department for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice
(the Mutawa, otherwise known as the Religious Police) had
banned youths under the age of 18 from watching the World
football championship at public cafes. This was done to
prevent young Saudis from misbehavior that may occur at such
establishments. The article was accompanied by a photograph
of a cafe with one of the announcements plastered on the wall.

SAUDI YOUTHS LOVE SOCCER MORE THAN RELIGION


10. (U) It must be asked if the above noted restriction was
prompted by an incident reported on the Arabic-language
website Elaph about a week earlier. The report states that
in a cafe showing the football matches, the young patrons
yelled at the waiters when they turned off the television
during prayer time. The waiters balked at their patrons'
demand, insisting that the Mutawas had ordered them to turn
off the television and close the doors during prayer times.
This explanation failed to placate the rabid fans, and the
web-site reports that the television was back on "in less
than three minutes."

WEBSITE PROVIDES INSTRUCTIONS TO WOULD-BE JIHADISTS


11. (U) In a far more unsettling message on the web-site Al
Saha, a Mohamed Sa'eed called for a Jihad in Palestine and
explained how recruits could get to Palestine. He told
readers to go to Egypt through the airport and hire a cab to
Rafa'h. From thence, according to the writer, the Bedouin
will gladly guide the traveler through tunnels into Gaza.
And a half-hour later one can be fighting along side other
Mujahedeen.


JEDDAH 00000453 003 OF 003

SUBJECT: JEDDAH JOURNAL 15: JCCI TURMOIL ENDS; CONVICTION
OF SAUDI IN U.S. CONDEMNED AS ISLAMOPHOBIA; WIFE PROCURES
SECOND WIFE FOR HUSBAND; BUSINESSWOMEN ORGANIZING; LIBYAN
AIRLINE LANDS IN JEDDAH; FOOTBALL AND SAUDI YOUTH; WEBSITE
INSTRUCTS JIHADISTS

Gfoeller