WHY ARE WE FIGHTING? WOMEN IN DAMASCUS DEBATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000170 INFO ALL NEAR EAST PRIORITY ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/PPD, NEA/ELA E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2019 TAGS: PREL KPAO KWMN SCUL SOCI SY SUBJECT: WHY ARE WE FIGHTING? WOMEN IN DAMASCUS DEBATE RELIGION AND PEACE Classified By: CDA Maura Connelly for reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Embassy Damascus partnered with the Canadian Embassy and local Syrian activists to organize a three-day workshop on the role of women in promoting interfaith dialogue, January 21-23. The workshop featured three Canadian and two American women as facilitators. Three of the presenters were Jewish; there were joined by American Rabbi Marc Gopin via recorded message. Local Christian and Muslim clergy participated in opening the workshop. Although the scenes of destruction in Gaza were fresh in participants, minds, common values took center stage and friendships were forged. The network that emerged from this workshop has the potential to serve as the basis for future interfaith work in Syria and follow-up activities from Post. Generally, the SARG security services allowed this conference to take place, though in order to evade greater scrutiny, the conference organizers carefully protected program details. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) During January 21-22, nearly 60 women representing a broad spectrum of Syria,s religious and social landscape gathered at the Syrian Public Relations Association (SPRA) for focused discussions on how women have an important role to play in spreading a message of respect for all religions in their families, communities, and societies. The women included intellectuals, lawyers, businesswomen, Islamic scholars, professors/academics, writers, women,s rights and civil society activists, members of the Women,s Union, and religious figures. PD Damascus funded just under 50 percent of the conference costs; the balance was provided by the Canadian Embassy and private Syrian sponsors. ¶3. (SBU) Coming on the heels of the Israeli offensive in Gaza, the conference was notable for its inclusion of Jewish participants from the United States and Canada and a recorded opening message from American Rabbi Marc Gopin. Embassy funding facilitated participation by two American women from the Tanenbaum Center, an American organization dedicated to the peaceful use of religion. The Americans joined three Canadians (one Jewish, one Christian clergywoman, and one Muslim) as facilitators of the workshop. For many of the Syrian participants, this workshop was their first opportunity to meet and speak with Jews on a personal level. ¶4. (SBU) Other women, however, were less sanguine. When asked how she would work on peace in her community, one woman answered, &I cannot talk about peace while there is occupation in my land (the Golan) and in Palestine. How can I talk to people and tell them about peace while we are witnessing the misery of lots of people who are deprived of peace and deprived of their right to live? How can one talk about peace while we are all under the threat of war?8 Another woman said, &Why do they come to us to teach us about peace instead of us going there to teach them about our peace? Islam is the religion of peace.8 ¶5. (SBU) Lively, sometimes contentious, debate in sessions gave way to camaraderie and friendships that will endure. Almost all participants agreed that all religions call for peace and nonviolence, which prompted the workshop as a group to wonder: if that is the case, then what do we disagree about? Suggested follow on behavior and activities to the workshop included: -- listening to each other; -- judging religion by its teachings, not its practice; -- teaching peace within the family; -- revising the school curriculum to disseminate messages of peace; -- Writing articles and books about peace among all religions and cultures; and, -- Maintaining a network by e-mail. ¶6. (C) The conference organizer was Syrian Christian lawyer and civil society activist Hind Kabawat (strictly protect). Hind, a U.S. graduate who speaks regularly at her alma mater, the Fletcher School, and other U.S. venues on themes of interfaith and co-existence, views such interactions as a kind of Track II diplomacy and good public relations for Syria. Though Hind usually has political cover for her activities, she told us after this conference that the SARG security services summoned her to give more information on &why she had invited these Jewish women to Syria.8 She has declined their invitation so far but withdrew from a planned Martin Luther King lecture she had committed to co-sponsoring with PD, telling PD staff that she is under too much scrutiny to engage in such activities. Our Canadian partners informed us that one of the Canadian Jewish women accepted an invitation from local Syrians to visit the Jobar Synagogue, which is outside Damascus' historical old city, and thus not normally visited. The Canadians feel that this is what ultimately led to the security services' increased scrutiny of Hind, not the conference itself. ¶7. (SBU) COMMENT: Although the political situation precluded an open acknowledgement of USG sponsorship, the Canadian and Syrian organizers welcomed our behind-the-scenes support. This conference provided Post with renewed access to a strong network of influential women to help promote interfaith dialogue and contacts in the future. We will build upon this conference via exchanges and other kinds of outreach in the coming months. END COMMENT. CONNELLY