THE BUSINESS OF HAJJ IN TUNISIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 002957

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/MAG - HARRIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2016
TAGS: SOCI PREL TS
SUBJECT: THE BUSINESS OF HAJJ IN TUNISIA


CLASSIFIED BY: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES A.I. DAVID BALLARD FOR REASONS 1.4 (B)
AND (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY. DESPITE THEIR GOVERNMENT'S SECULAR LEANINGS,
THE NUMBER OF TUNISIANS WISHING TO PERFORM THE ANNUAL HAJJ
PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA IS INCREASING IN PARALLEL WITH TUNISIANS
GENERALLY BECOMING MORE RELIGIOUS. WHILE TUNISIAN
AUTHORITIES, LIKE MOST MUSLIM GOVERNMENTS, UNDERTAKE
SIGNIFICANT EFFORTS TO FACILITATE TUNISIAN PARTICIPATION, A
PRIVATE FIRM WITH HIGH-LEVEL CONNECTIONS HANDLES MOST OF THE
ARRANGEMENTS FOR TUNISIAN PILGRIMS. TUNISIANS ACTIVELY LOOK
FOR WAYS TO CIRCUMVENT THE ESTABLISHED FORMAL PROCEDURES, AND
EVEN DISSIDENTS FIND THEIR WAY TO HAJJ. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) NINE THOUSAND TUNISIANS ARE EXPECTED TO MAKE THE
ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA, OR HAJJ. THIS YEAR THE FIRST
CHARTERED HAJJ FLIGHT DEPARTED ON DECEMBER 6. AS TUNISIANS
BECOME MORE RELIGIOUS, THE DEMAND FOR HAJJ VISAS HAS ALSO
INCREASED, AND TUNISIANS TYPICALLY BEGAN MAKING THEIR
ARRANGEMENTS MONTHS IN ADVANCE. SAUDI ARABIAN CONSUL HASSAN
AL-ANSARI EXPLAINED TO CONOFF THAT TUNISIA AND SAUDI ARABIA
HAVE A BILATERAL AGREEMENT THAT DICTATES THE PROCESSING OF
HAJJ VISAS, AND THAT THE ONLY CHANNEL FOR TUNISIANS TO OBTAIN
A HAJJ VISA IS THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS.


3. (C) THE GOT USED TO ORGANIZE A LOTTERY FOR CITIZENS WHO
WISH TO PERFORM THE HAJJ; HOWEVER, THIS YEAR IT REVISED THE
SYSTEM TO FACILITATE THE PILGRIMAGES OF THE ELDERLY. THIRTY
PERCENT OF SPOTS WERE RESERVED FOR THOSE OVER EIGHTY YEARS
OLD, WITH THE REMAINDER DISTRIBUTED AMONG OTHER ELDERLY
PEOPLE, THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN WAITING THE LONGEST AND THOSE
ACCOMPANYING SPOUSES. THE PROCESS BEGAN MONTHS AGO TO ALLOW
TIME FOR SELECTION, REQUIRED MEDICAL EXAMS AND VACCINATIONS,
ISSUING PASSPORTS AND MAKING TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS. IN 2006,
THE MINISTRY OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS ALSO LAUNCHED AN AWARENESS
CAMPAIGN, INCLUDING TELEVISION PROGRAMS, TO BRIEF TUNISIAN
PILGRIMS ON THE PROPER WAYS OF PERFORMING HAJJ RITUALS,
EXPLAINING HEALTH AND SECURITY REGULATIONS, AND PROVIDING
MAPS OF THE HOLY PLACES. THE GOT'S OFFICIAL ORGANIZATION OF
THE HAJJ ALSO EXTENDS TO ENSURING TUNISIAN PILGRIMS ARE
LODGED TOGETHER AND ABLE TO CONDUCT MANY OF THE RITUALS IN
NATIONAL GROUPS. THE GOT ALSO SENDS DOCTORS WITH MEDICAL
EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES - AND ONE ASSUMES "SECURITY" OFFICIALS
- TO ACCOMPANY TUNISIAN PILGRIMS AND PROVIDE NECESSARY
SUPPORT AND SUPERVISION.


4. (C) IN ADDITION TO THE MINISTRYS INVOLVEMENT, PRESIDENT
BEN ALI'S SUPPORT FOR TUNISIANS PERFORMING THE HAJJ IS ALWAYS
WIDELY COVERED BY THE LOCAL PRESS. IN SEPTEMBER, BEN ALI
INAUGURATED A SECOND TUNIS-CARTHAGE AIRPORT TERMINAL, A
MODERN AND EXPANDED TERMINAL THAT WILL SERVE HAJJ AND OMRA
PILGRIMS AS WELL AS OTHER IRREGULAR FLIGHTS. BEN ALI HIMSELF
WENT ON THE HAJJ IN 2004, ACCOMPANIED BY VEILED FEMALE FAMILY
MEMBERS EVEN THOUGH HE HAS REPEATEDLY CALLED THE VEIL A
"FOREIGN IMPORT" THAT IS NOT PART OF AUTHENTIC TUNISIAN
CULTURE.


5. (C) APART FROM HIS OFFICIAL INVOLVEMENT, BEN ALI'S FAMILY
MEMBERS HAVE MUSCLED IN ON THE BUSINESS. THE GOT ONCE MADE
ALL THE HAJJ-RELATED TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS, HOWEVER THE
NATIONAL SERVICES AND RESIDENCES COMPANY (ALSO KNOWN AS
MONTAZAH GAMMARTH) NOW HANDLES ALL TRAVEL ISSUES. THE FIRM
IS OFFICIALLY A STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISE; HOWEVER, IT IS
REPORTEDLY OWNED BY BEN ALI'S BROTHER-IN-LAW, BELHASSEN
TRABELSI. TUNISIANS SURMISE THAT THE FIRM MAKES A HUGE
PROFIT OFF OF ITS HAJJ BUSINESS AND THAT TRABELSI IS PADDING
HIS ALREADY OVERSTUFFED POCKETS WITH PILGRIMS' HARD EARNED
DINARS.


6. (SBU) DESPITE THE OFFICIAL PROCESS, SOME TUNISIANS MANAGE
TO CIRCUMVENT THE PROCESS TO OBTAIN VISAS. FROM CALLING IN
FAVORS WITH THOSE WHO HAVE SOME INFLUENCE OVER THE SYSTEM, TO
CAMPING OUT IN FRONT OF THE SAUDI EMBASSY UNTIL THE SAUDIS
PITY THEM, AN INTENDING PILGRIM WILL SPARE NO EFFORT IN
FINDING A WAY TO COMPLETE THE HAJJ. THE ANNUAL CAMP-OUT IN
FRONT OF THE EMBASSY EVEN LED A LOCAL PAPER TO ASK "WHAT IS
THE SOLUTION?" TO THIS ANNUAL PHENOMENON. THE SAUDI
AMBASSADOR AND HIS DEPUTY ARE FREQUENTLY APPROACHED BY OTHER
AMBASSADORS AND DIPLOMATS SEEKING HAJJ VISAS FOR THEIR
TUNISIAN EMPLOYEES. THEY OFTEN RELENT AND GRANT THEM.
INTENDING PILGRIMS' DEDICATION IS UNWAVERING, DESPITE THE
FACT THAT HAJJ EXPENSES (NEARLY TD 5,000 OR USD 3800) CAN
EXCEED MORE THAN TWICE THE PER CAPITA INCOME LEVEL.


7. (C) COMMENT: AS IT BECOMES MORE POPULAR WITH ALL CLASSES
OF TUNISIANS, HAJJ HAS ALSO BECOME A CONVENIENT MEETING PLACE
FOR TUNISIAN DISSIDENTS. IN THE 2006 HAJJ SEASON, IT WAS
WIDELY REPORTED THAT RACHED GHANNOUCHI, THE EXILED LEADER OF
THE BANNED AN-NAHDHA PARTY, MET WITH OTHER TUNISIAN
OPPOSITION LEADERS AND MEMBERS OF THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD IN
MECCA. GIVEN THE GOT'S DESIRE TO CONTROL ALMOST EVERYTHING
RELATED TO TUNISIA, AS WELL AS THE LOCAL BELIEF THAT
ONE-THIRD OF TUNISIANS ARE EMPLOYED BY THE MINISTRY OF
INTERIOR, IT IS LIKELY THAT THE GOT IS CAREFULLY WATCHING
EVEN THOSE THAT IT HAS PRE-SELECTED TO COMPLETE THE HAJJ.
END COMMENT.
BALLARD