IIP TRAVELING SPEAKER PROGRAM WITH MS. ZAINAB AL-SUWEIJ

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000581

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/PPD (DAVID BENZE),NEA/ARP (BJACKSON),NEA/PPD,
IIP/NEA/SCA (BANDLER),NEA/PI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SCUL KPAO KIRC OIIP XF KU
SUBJECT: IIP TRAVELING SPEAKER PROGRAM WITH MS. ZAINAB AL-SUWEIJ


1. Summary: Ms. Zainab Al-Suwaij, Executive Director of the American
Islamic Congress, came to Kuwait for four days as an IIP Arabic
Supplemental-funded traveling speaker and discussed with Kuwaitis
Western-Muslim perceptions of each other, civil society and women
rights, democracy-building in Iraq, and Muslims in America. She won
the audience over with her native Arabic language skills and
heartfelt advocacy. She spoke at the Islamic Moderation Center, the
American University in Kuwait, Kuwait University, the Kuwait
Lawyers' Association, the AWARE Center for Western-Arab Relations
and a political salon ("diwaniya") in the home of a former minister
of Information. She also appeared on Kuwait TV and gave an
exclusive interview to an Arabic-language daily newspaper. We
recommend her most highly to other posts for any programs directed
at conservative Muslim audiences. In all about eighty people were
reached directly; perhaps 50,000 through the media. (End summary)

//ZAINAB AL-SUWEIJ'S VENUES IN KUWAIT//


2. Ms. Zainab Al-Suwaij came to Kuwait for four programming days and
interacted with Kuwaitis in the following venues: a live interview
on the "Good Morning Kuwait" program on the English-language Kuwait
Television channel, an exclusive interview with Al-Rai
Arabic-language daily newspaper, a discussion at the Islamic
Moderation Center, a lecture to American University in Kuwait
students, a wide-ranging discussion with lawyers at the Kuwait
Lawyers' Association, a political salon ("diwaniya") in the home of
a former minister of Information accompanied with press coverage,
one lecture each at the Mass Communications and Political Science
departments of Kuwait University, and a discussion at the AWARE
Center for Western-Arab Relations.

//HER MESSAGE AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS//


3. Ms. Zainab Al-Suweij did a superb job delivering important
messages on Western-Muslim perceptions of each other, the progress
Iraqis are making in addressing inter-ethnic tensions and promoting
civil society, and women's rights in Islamic society. She also
urged Kuwaitis to support helping Iraq get back on its feet. She
defended herself very well when verbally challenged by one of the
lawyers at their association for having adopted an "American"
outlook due to her residence in the U.S. since 1991. She argued
convincingly that Iraqis were just as much the victims of Saddam as
Kuwaitis were, and stressed that Kuwaitis need to be engaged in, and
have confidence in, the fact that Iraqis are working out a new civil
society for the first time and will ultimately succeed. At the
lawyers' association and other venues she gave a good explanation
for why democracy is the antidote to extremists' appeals. She also
explained what being a Muslim in America is like and defended her
feminist views as being entirely compatible with Islamic values.

//RECOMMENDATION//


4. We recommend Zainab Al-Suweij highly to other posts that are
looking to conduct programs in the difficult subject area of Islamic
modernism and women's rights.

//SUPPORT OF MISSION PRIORITIES//


5. This program supported Mission Kuwait's 2009 MSP goal #1: "Ensure
that Kuwait acts as a full partner in U.S. regional security
efforts;" and goal #6: "Strengthening Democracy, including the role
of parliament, rule of law, and equality for women."

//FUNDING//


6. This program was entirely funded by an IIP-administered Arabic
Supplemental Grant because of its significant youth audience
component.

//AUDIENCES REACHED AND BREAKDOWN//


7. In all about eighty people were reached directly; perhaps 50,000
through the media.

Government 5%
Political Leaders 5%
Security/Defense 0%
Educators/Academics 10%
Students 30%
Media 10%
Arts/Culture 0%
Community/Social/NGO 30%
Religious 10%
Business 0%
General Public 0%

Audience Type (Gender)
Female 30%
Male 70%


KUWAIT 00000581 002 OF 002


Audience Type (Age under 25)

About 50%

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