PETITION SUPPORTS MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND

S E C R E T RIYADH 008815

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/11/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR PKISL SA
SUBJECT: PETITION SUPPORTS MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND
INFORMATION AGAINST ISLAMIC CONSERVATIVE INTERNET CAMPAIGN

REF: A. A) RIYADH 8723

B. B) RIYADH 5136

C. C) RIYADH 7191

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Gfoeller for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Ministry of Culture and Information
received a petition signed by 160 reform-minded scholars
supporting Minister of Information Iyad bin Amin Madany. The
signatories constituted a broad cross-section of Saudi
society, including men and women, Sunni and Shi'a. The
statement responded to a recent Internet campaign by Islamic
conservatives criticizing the Ministry and calling for the
Minister's dismissal. It supported the Minister's efforts to
open Saudi society and bridge the gap with the "West." The
statement called for the prosecution of the religious
conservatives behind the campaign in order to end the
exploitation of religion and preserve the development of
Saudi Arabia. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) During the Eid holiday, the Ministry of Culture and
Information received a petition signed by 160 reform-minded
scholars supporting Minister of Information Iyad bin Amin
Madany. The petition was also posted on a liberal
Saudi-based website "Al-Hurreyah." The signatories included
Shi'a and Sunni men and women from all major provinces in the
Kingdom (Ref A).


3. (U) The petition responded to a recent Internet campaign
by Islamic conservatives criticizing the Ministry's programs
and demanding the dismissal of the Minister and several other
officials. A campaign supporter publicly stated that the
Ministry tends to "exclude Islamic thoughts" from its liberal
and secular programming. The petition rejected this
campaign, calling it "blackmail" and "intellectual
terrorism."


4. (U) The statement supported the Minister and highlighted
the successes achieved during his tenure, specifically noting
increased openness in the media, as well as greater cultural
awareness in Saudi society. The statement pointed to
increased publication and marketing of books and newspapers
as key to enhancing overall cultural awareness in Saudi
Arabia. The statement also commended the Minister for his
efforts in aligning Saudi Arabia's cultural norms with those
of the "free world (the West)."


5. (U) While stressing that there is a need for public
criticism, the statement's authors accused Islamic
conservatives of criticizing the Government as a means to
preserve their radical ideologies, as opposed to serving the
national interest or common good. It noted, "the discourse
of denial, which hides behind patriotism and public interest
while the vocabulary of the speech aims at preserving the
private sectarian and ideological interests in accordance
with the sentiments and backgrounds of the groups aiming at
social power and guardianship, is totally rejected."


6. (S) The statement advocated for the prosecution of those
behind the campaign, claiming that such efforts hinder the
development of Saudi Arabia and falsely exploit religion. It
said that the campaign inaccurately accused government
agencies, including the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of
Culture and Information, and the Saudi Arabia General
Investment Authority, of conducting acts of "treason" and
unfairly called them a "westernization gang" due to their
innovative reforms and activities. The statement's authors
wrote, "We strongly call for prosecuting those who talk about
intentions, those who hinder the path of economic and human
development, especially as they emanate from false religious
backgrounds." The statement added that by prosecuting these
groups, "we not only remove an obstacle in the way of the
country's development, but we also free religion from those
who claim to represent it and religious radicals who use it
to serve their narrow, personal aims." (NOTE: The criticism
of the groups in this statement is reminiscent of claims made
by 61 religious conservatives in the May counterreformation
manifesto (Ref B),as well as the controversial lecture given
at the summer youth camp by Sheikh al-Break in August (Ref
C). END NOTE.)


7. (C) A Ministry of Foreign Affairs interlocutor told
PolOff on November 7 that the increase in media outlets and
media debates over the past few years -- a result of reforms
implemented by the Ministry of Culture and Information -- has
shaped the increasing openness of Saudi society. He
indicated that the public benefits from the Ministry of
Culture and Information's programming. He also commented
that the opinions in Saudi newspapers are not accurate
reflections of the Saudi public, and that newspaper
readership is low overall. However, when the Ministry's

messages reach mosque sermons, as is often the case, then the
issues are robustly debated. He concluded that this Internet
campaign against the Ministry most likely occurred as a
result of mosque sermons about some of the Ministry's
activities.


8. (C) COMMENT: That the petition was posted on-line and the
issue hotly debated in the mainstream media is a clear
example of the progress that the Ministry of Information has
made with its reform efforts. Although Islamic conservatives
are likely to continue in their opposition to many of the
Ministry's programs, public support for the Ministry in this
case is a a good indicator that some sectors of Saudi society
are open to such reform. END COMMENT.
OBERWETTER