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