KING ABDULLAH'S INTERFAITH DIALOGUE AND THE MADRID

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 05 RIYADH 001170

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO NEA/ARP BMCGRATH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/2018
TAGS: ASEC CIA EU EUN KDEM KISL KMDR KPAO PGOV
PHUM, PREL, PTER, SA, SP
SUBJECT: KING ABDULLAH'S INTERFAITH DIALOGUE AND THE MADRID
CONFERENCE

REF: A. RIYADH 1133

B. RIYADH 1035

C. RIYADH 1162

D. RIYADH 1090

E. RIYADH 1070

Classified By: Charge de Affairs Michael Gfoeller for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (S/NF) SUMMARY. The Saudi-hosted Madrid Conference for
Interfaith Dialogue won King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
praise from local media and Embassy contacts alike. It has
the potential to lead to greater religious tolerance, with
the tangible effect of defusing extremism and associated
terrorism. Saudis and third-country diplomats supported the
King's initiative, while making revealing and skeptical
comments about the path ahead. Internet commentary
effectively highlighted the viewpoints of some critics.
However, internet commentary was limited, which could be
assessed as an indictment of the Interfaith Dialogue by the
ordinarily rather conservative section of Saudi society that
contributes to these sites. This historic initiative by King
Abdullah faces some senior internal royal family opposition,
as well as resistance from the highly conservative religious
class. END SUMMARY.

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SAG OFFICIALS SUPPORT THE KING...
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2. (S/NF) Within Saudi Arabia, support for the Madrid
conference has been vocal, but not necessarily unanimous.
Embassy contacts in the SAG support the King's initiative,
and their views mirror commentary in the local press (Reftel
A). There was criticism of perceived Saudi government
hypocrisy by many of our local contacts - unofficial Saudis
and third country diplomats - about how lasting this
Interfaith Dialogue will be and if it will truly result in
actual religious tolerance within Saudi Arabia.


3. (S/NF) Saudi judges preparing to embark on a U.S. exchange
program explained that the Dialogue demonstrates "true
Islam." The judges, a highly conservative group by any
measure, said that Islam is a religion of "peace and
tolerance." They added that the conference served to correct
misunderstanding and combat the "clash of civilizations"
viewpoint often vilified inside the Kingdom. The judges did
not deny that some might view the Dialogue as compromising
the true teachings of Islam, but that the benefits of the
Dialogue outweighed this concern. Dr. Mufleh Al-Kahtani
(strictly protect),Vice President of the independent but
pro-government National Society for Human Rights, praised the
initiative, stressing that it should be included in the next
report on International Religious Freedom. He also lamented
that Saudi Arabia was still behind in advancing human rights.
When asked if the Kingdom could host a future conference,
Al-Kahtani considered this unlikely because of the difficulty
of hosting Jews, especially Israelis, in Saudi Arabia.

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... BUT SOME ROYALS OPPOSE
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4. (S/NF) There are confidential reports that Crown Prince
Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Governor of Riyadh Prince
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud voiced private opposition to
King Abdullah about this initiative, since it placed the
other monotheistic faiths on an equal footing with Islam.
Apparently Abdullah had to negotiate heatedly with these two
senior royals to get them to at least acquiesce to the
Interfaith Dialogue. While there was much positive local

RIYADH 00001170 002 OF 005


press coverage, there were no media reports of other Saudi
royals joining this initiative. Also, according to King
Abdullah, Spanish King Juan Carlos was enthusiastic to host
this conference hosted in Madrid (Reftel B). However, per
the Spanish Political Counselor in Riyadh (strictly protect),
King Juan Carlos was actually cool to the proposal of having
this type of multi-faith conference on Spanish soil as it
conflicted with more secular Spanish policy and he considered
it hypocritical for Saudi Arabia, with a poor record on human
rights and religious tolerance, to take the lead in global
religious tolerance. The Spanish agreed to host this
conference in order to maintain good relations with oil-rich
Saudi Arabia, according to the Spanish Embassy in Riyadh.

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THE ROLE OF WOMEN, OR LACK THEREOF
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5. (S/NF) A Jeddah city counselor and businessman valued the
idea of the conference, but voiced reservations. He
contended that the Kingdom needs a stronger policy of
religious tolerance as well as less media bias in religious
coverage. He also chided the absence of women as
"ridiculous." The head of the women's office of Jeddah's
Human Rights Commission lamented that Saudi women were not
permitted to participate. Prior to the conference, she
requested permission to attend from the World Muslim League
(WML) and the Saudi Royal Protocol office. The WML official
informed her that women could not attend, but perhaps could
participate in a subsequent event.


6. (S/NF) One Saudi woman did play a role. King Abdullah
asked Susan Baaghil, the first recognized Saudi female
photographer, to photo document the conference. Baaghil
believes that her very presence signaled the importance the
King has placed on broadening the role of women in this
religious tolerance initiative. Based on this success, she
believes that any future Interfaith Dialogue will draw more
women as speakers as well as organizers. Baaghil commented
that the gathering is aligned with the King's open and
inclusive leadership style, noting the positive and friendly
behind-the-scenes interactions between Jewish, Christian,
Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim participants. The collegial and
convivial atmosphere of the conference extended into
mealtimes, facilitating candid photographs of different
religious leaders, highlighted by the lively interaction
between the King and prominent religious leaders. Baaghil
believes that Saudi-hosted international gatherings, such as
the Madrid Conference, raise the King's stature among world
leaders. Recent suggestions in the Saudi press that the King
should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize point to the
positive perception of reforms currently occurring in the
kingdom.

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SUSTAINABILITY UNCERTAIN
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7. (S/NF) Liberal Saudis lauded King Abdullah's efforts. The
chairman of a local media company described the dialogue as a
forward-thinking strategy to combat extremism and show the
Kingdom in a more tolerant light. In his view, the Dialogue
is one in a long series of moves by the King to bring greater
openness, dating back to his time as Crown Prince. Lingering
is a sense that these efforts live and die with the King, and
that the initiative would wither under the rule of any
potential successor, especially Crown Prince Sultan.
Riyadh's broader diplomatic community followed the conference
from the sidelines. Several third-country diplomats from
Muslim countries conveyed little more than superficial
knowledge of the conference. One Egyptian diplomat voiced

RIYADH 00001170 003 OF 005


deep skepticism. He pointed out that actions are needed more
than words, and echoed the sentiment that the King's
successor would likely not continue the initiative.


8. (S/NF) A prominent Saudi human rights activist
hypothesized that, if anything, the Dialogue "will result in
more (terrorist) attacks" in Saudi Arabia. Further, he
claimed that this would be in the interest of the Ministry of
Interior (MOI),whose budget has swelled along with the
responsibility of breaking terrorist networks in the kingdom.
The activist stated that the Interfaith Dialogue is nothing
more than a public relations ploy. He said it is possible to
challenge the conservative establishment, citing Kings
Abdulaziz and Faisal as examples. He contrasted these rulers
with King Abdullah, who "does not have the muscle" to push
this type of reform. "The King can't match Sultan and Naif"
he opined, referring to the Crown Prince and Interior
Minister. Supporting the position that the Dialogue could
anger religious extremists is the recent al-Qaeda internet
video referring to the dialogue as "an integral part of the
overt Crusader war against Islam and Muslims."

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INTERNET DEBATE
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9. (S/NF) Commentary in the highly conservative, bigoted
world of the Saudi internet was limited, which can be
assessed as an indictment of the Interfaith Dialogue as
bloggers would fear retribution for openly criticizing King
Abdullah. Response from the blogosphere has been muted, with
a few exceptions. A writer on the influential Al-Saha site
(www.alsaha.com) published an article criticizing the
dialogue. The writer opined that the Madrid conference is a
public relations blessing for al-Qaeda, with official Saudi
religious scholars "sitting side by side with those who
worship cows or statues." Such images, particularly those
featuring King Abdullah, undermine the government's religious
legitimacy in the eyes of extremists. The writer mocks the
idea that such a conference could be held inside the Kingdom.
He quotes a Koranic verse to those calling for interfaith
dialogue: "Never will the Jews or Christians be satisfied
with thee unless thou follow their form of religion."
Numerous readers chimed in by strongly rejecting the article
and supporting the King.


10. (S/NF) A second internet commentary accentuated the
positive. A writer (likely a non-Saudi Arab) on the Elaph
site (www.elaph.com) wrote, "What's amazing is that the state
organizing and sponsoring the Madrid conference is Saudi
Arabia, with its Wahhabi doctrine, which does not recognize
other religions, and describes them as false religions." The
writer added that the conference could not have been held in
Saudi Arabia, where "some voices oppose the Conference and
the concept of dialoging peacefully with non-Muslims. Voices
who believe that only blood can interact with infidels."

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LIFE ON THE STREET
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11. (S/NF) Discussion with post's non-Muslim contacts reveals
no noteworthy change in daily life for them. Of course, it
is only two weeks since the Interfaith Dialogue conference
concluded. Under an agreement negotiated three years ago by
Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom John
Hanford, the Saudis have exhibited moderately greater
religious tolerance vis-a-vis non-Muslim faiths. In recent
years, non-Muslims have been able to worship privately as
long as they kept out of sight. Society at large resists
this turnaround. Overall, non-Muslim contacts are hopeful

RIYADH 00001170 004 OF 005


for more tolerance within the Kingdom, but acknowledge parts
of Saudi society remain resistant to change. We still see
religious intolerance - most recently a group of 16 Asian
Christians in Taif are facing deportation simply because of
their faith (Reftel C).

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COMMENT
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12. (S/NF) Saudi Arabia is a conservative, society resistant
to change, but led by a pious king seeking to impose more
liberal and tolerant attitude. That King Abdullah hosted a
true Interfaith Dialogue is remarkable and historic. This is
a significant step to combat extremism, which has the
realistic potential to defuse violent acts of terrorism.
While this conference had international media coverage with
global appeal, Abdullah's true target audience was Saudi
Arabia itself. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a top down
society. The images of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
embracing not only Christians, but Jews too, is a highly
controversial act for many, if not most, Saudis. We
interpret this as "shock treatment" intended to challenge
Saudi society to become more tolerant, with the King setting
the example for a new form of behavior. However, King
Abdullah must overcome bigoted domestic resistance to
continue this Interfaith initiative, especially if a future
Dialogue session is to be conducted on Saudi soil. Of note
are the limited but negative internet blogs regarding this
initiative. Such opinions should not be dismissed lightly:
they reflect the views of a significant portion of Saudi
society. The fact that a key al-Qaeda figure has publicly
called for King Abdullah to be killed in response for calling
for the Interfaith Dialogue that "amounted to joining a
Western crusade against Islam," demonstrates that this
initiative is more than a publicity stunt as some skeptics
have described it.


13. (S/NF) King Abdullah is a pious Muslim of bedouin
heritage with a strict conservative upbringing, yet he has
shown an open mind. His religious leadership harkens back to
the King-as-Imam paradigm that lasted until the death of his
father King Abdulaziz bin Saud (reign 1926-1953),the founder
of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. King Abulaziz, when he
reigned, set much of the political, moral and religious tone
of the Kingdom. The situation has since evolved to the point
where the King handles politics and economics, while the
religious Ulemah handle the societal issues. King Abdullah
is now working to reassert a degree of religious authority by
setting the precedent of establishing greater religious
tolerance than any previous Saudi ruler.


14. (S/NF) King Abdullah is attempting to combine moral and
political leadership in the mold of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz
(reign 1964-1975),whose reforms included allowing girl's
education and introducing television. Both kings are known
for their austere personal piety, which gives them
credibility to act on reforms - a piety not shared by King
Saud (known as the "playboy prince, reign 1953-1964)) who
succeeded King Abdulaziz; or Saudi Arabia's previous monarch,
King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (reign 1981-2005, and de
facto prime minister 1975-1981) - all known for hedonistic
excesses. But King Abdullah, and King Faisal before him,
share unimpeachable religious and moral credentials, which
provide political cover to implement reform. King Abdullah
is also a pragmatic strategic thinker. We interpret his
reasoning to be how he can ensure that the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia survives and prospers in the 21st century under the
House of Saud. He initiated this Interfaith Dialogue not
because he had a metaphysical epiphany, but rather as a way
for the Kingdom to resist extremists, both tomorrow and in

RIYADH 00001170 005 OF 005


fifty years.


15. (S/NF) We anticipate the conservative Ulemah who
effectively run the religious establishment in Saudi Arabia
will continue to resist further progress toward religious
tolerance. They will likely crack down on "religious
infractions" in a public manner in order to send a message to
the King and his supporters. King Abdullah and the
pro-tolerant Saudis will certainly counter the religious
conservatives, likely by upstaging them in the realm of
public opinion which generally favors the King. So long as
King Abdullah perseveres, using his finely-honed tribal
negotiating skills to garner further support from various
Saudi factions, we expect him to prevail. That said,
tangible change in Saudi society will take place slowly, at
least by western standards.


16. (S/NF) Holding the conference in Madrid allowed the King
to sidestep the opposition to hosting such an event in Saudi
Arabia - the Islamic holy land. While the true opinion of
other royals remains publicly unstated, we believe there is
substance to the belief that some of them do not share the
King's enthusiasm for Interfaith Dialogue. The King's legacy
will lie in his ability to influence the detractors - from
all corners - and build a society more accepting of religious
differences.


17. (S/NF) Sustaining this religious tolerance initiative
beyond King Abdullah's rule could be problematic, as shown by
Crown Prince Sultan and Prince Salman's reported opposition
to the Interfaith Dialogue. It is noteworthy that these
royals are Abdullah's half-brothers (Sudairis). Should a
prince of more liberal leanings, such as Chief of General
Intelligence Prince Muqrin Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, eventually
become King, the chance of this initiative continuing may
improve. Its lasting success extends beyond the advancement
of human rights, it can have the tangible effect of defusing
extremism and associated terrorism. While momentum in public
opinion is, for now, on King Abdullah's side, further action
by the Saudis is needed to show that this will be more than a
public relations maneuver.
GFOELLER