THE ISSUE OF TOLERANCE IN SAUDI SOCIETY: A HEATED BUT INCONCLUSIVE DEBATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JEDDAH 000151 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, IIP, ECA E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2014 TAGS: PREL KISL POPDC OIC KPAO SA SUBJECT: THE ISSUE OF TOLERANCE IN SAUDI SOCIETY: A HEATED BUT INCONCLUSIVE DEBATE Classified By: CG Martin R. Quinn for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: On March 24 ConGen hosted an exchange -- via DVC -- between U.S author and professor Lawrence Harrison and a small group of Saudi intellectuals and social activists. Harrison, a former USAID diplomat, sparked a heated debate after raising the idea that culture is the key factor influencing social and political change. His comments provided a segue into a lively roundtable, in which Saudi participants voiced frustration that Saudi activists and reformers over-discuss the prospect of change, neither observing nor expecting any action or result. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) FORMER USAID DIPLOMAT COMMENTS ON CULTURAL IMPACT: Professor Harrison, a former USAID diplomat and current Director of the Culture Change Institute at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, led a March 24 discussion on the impact of culture on Saudi Arabia's progress. Participating in the discussion were 12 Saudi intellectuals and social activists, all of whom shared an interest in sparking social change in Saudi Arabia. ¶3. (U) Speaking briefly about the major themes of his book, "The Central Liberal Truth," Harrison cited examples of societies he believed were able to avoid catastrophe as a result of having implemented changes that led to successful cultural transformation. One such example, according to Harrison, was Turkey under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Ataturk, he noted, drastically altered the culture of Turkey by completely severing the ties between Islam and the state. This act, in Harrison's eyes, put Turkey on a divergent course from that of its neighbors and is the primary source of the relative success the Turkish Republic enjoys today. ¶4. (C) ROUNDTABLE: "The Culture of Tolerance Roundtable" was the result of numerous discussions between ConGen officers and various activists in the Kingdom concerning the challenges facing Saudi culture, both socially and professionally. Many of the activists who participated, including the co-moderater of the event, Saudi intellectual/businessman Abdullah Hamddadin, expressed frustration that they had never been able to hold such an event before. Hamddadin stated that the main challenge to engaging on the subject of tolerance in Saudi Arabia is not a lack of ideas or passion but rather the absence of a public forum or network that would conceive as well as implement potential solutions. The roundtable, in his eyes, provided a rare opportunity for a diverse group of Saudi intellectuals to attempt such networking. 5.(U) PARTICIPANTS DEMAND CHANGE AND ACTION, BUT NOTHING SPECIFIC PROPOSED: At points participants moved away from the basic theme of tolerance and instead opened a wider discussion on creating social change in society at a more general level. Ms. Norah Maghrabi, a member of the student government at Dar Al Hekma University, explained that unlike the older generation, her peers had already begun to see things differently: &We have to educate the older generation that it,s o.k. to change.8 Several participants commented that concrete steps and actions leading to tangible results are necessary rather than simply discussing broad, universal topics. Younger participants in particular expressed frustration at listening to talk about improving Saudi society, but then having debate lead nowhere. 6.(U) LET'S DO IT. WHAT DO WE DO?: Participants seemed to recognize that they had before them a rare group of Saudi lawyers, academics, and activists: exactly the right nucleus for making grassroots changes in and through the institutions each represented. Many asked the question, "Now what? What's next?" No one could think of any specific actions that might help to increase levels of tolerance or approach change in other elements of society they found frustrating. There were ideas for a follow-up discussion, including hosting an African-American expert who could speak to &the successful U.S. experience in spreading the culture of tolerance in the America" as one put it. After two hours, participants departed expressing gratitude to consulate officers for the opportunity to broach these topics, but seemed less than confident that the session would lead to any further steps. No one of the group proposed hosting a future meeting. 7.(U) RULE OF LAW AS THE KEY TO INCREASING TOLERANCE: Several participants mentioned a need for families, educators and scholars to promote tolerance. &We need to empower patriotic studies in public schools to raise the country-wide patriotic feeling, not the tribal sense of JEDDAH 00000151 002 OF 003 belonging,8 said one participant. Some raised the idea of implementing laws to deal with intolerance, with one individual commenting that the rule of law is the main thing that distinguishes the U.S. as a multi-cultural society: &In the U.S. there are many different cultures, but they are all held together by the law. If I have a homosexual for a neighbor and I have a problem with that, I can say something to him but I can,t try to impose my beliefs on him because he is protected by the law." 8.(C) TOLERANCE GREATER IN RURAL AREAS AND IN THE PAST: Participants raised the issue of tolerance towards women. Ms. Walaa Nahas, an MBA student, said that she had found in her travels that "the people in rural areas (of Saudi Arabia) are much more tolerant than those in the big cities. Women in rural areas are much more independent and educated.8 As an example, she noted that she had seen several women driving cars in rural areas, while observing that such occurrences are extremely rare in major Saudi cities. Ms. Basma Otaibi, who runs her own PR firm, echoed the sentiment, adding that she had heard from elderly members of her family that Saudi society had been far more tolerant in years past than it is now. &The culture of intolerance is new to the Saudis,8 she said. Otaibi believes one fix for the current situation can be learned from the Qataris, who over a short period of time managed to empower both women and youth. For her part, Ms. Otaibi said she is working towards that goal as the Executive Director of the House of Saudiazation, an employment agency that focuses on the recruitment and employment of women in the Kingdom. 9.(C) TRIBALISM AND INTOLERANCE: Many of the participants chimed in on the issue of Saudis being intolerant towards each other. Dr. Enaam Raboei, a pediatrician, stated that "Saudis are a group of non-homogeneous tribes and parties who teach their children how not to accept the other.8 She gave several examples of tribal preferences in the work place. Another participant expounded on Dr. Raboei,s comments: &In the Kingdom we have 4 or 5 cultures and we can,t tolerate each other. This is the problem. Where I work, if a Hijazi is the director, all Hijazis will be put at the top of the list.8 10.(SBU) INTOLERANCE TOWARD FOREIGNERS: Some raised the issue of Saudis being intolerant toward non-Saudis, a critical matter in a country where it is estimated that seven to eight million residents are foreigners. Participants pointed to a feeling of superiority by Saudis as a major problem. &Saudis believe they are always better than the rest and are always looking for a lesser person to look down upon,8 opined one participant. &Racism is in the Saudis' DNA,8 added another. &Racism is between tribes, genders, Muslims, and towards other nationalities and religions. The reasons behind this intense racism is tribalism -- a false sense of superiority and lack of legislation.8 11.(SBU) ISLAM AND HUMANISM: One participant advocated for humanism, noting: &We neglect the fact that everyone is a human being. Every curriculum around the world talks about being human first. If you neglect that, you forget that your opposition is a human being so there is no reason for you to listen to him. Islam emphasizes living together as human beings -- tolerance.8 Several participants quoted a well-known verse from the Quran to emphasize the need to work towards a solution: &Indeed God will never change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (13:11).8 However, another participant emphasized the need to stop framing everything in terms of Islam. 12.(SBU) COMMENT: It is doubtful whether the participants in this dialogue will ever gather together again, but the energy in the room generated by a group of diverse Saudi stakeholders was palpable. Mission-organized roundtables and events frequently help to create networking opportunities and forums for discussion that do not often occur in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of the event was to open a debate on culture and tolerance, but it clearly morphed into something larger, with participants eagerly looking for a way to implement change, although they could not arrive at a clear way forward. While ConGen officers are not likely to host a similar meeting with this group, key participants(those showing clear leadership skills) were encouraged to consider a follow-up discussion, perhaps at one of the familiar diwaniya fora in Jeddah. 13.(SBU) Elevating the level of tolerance in Saudi Arabia has the potential to impact the lives of women, foreigners, and JEDDAH 00000151 003 OF 003 religious minorities searching for greater rights in this severely constrained society. Participants clearly saw the cultural dimension that the guest speaker underscored, but at the same time were hard pressed to arrive at tangible ways of modifying the cultural roots that lead to intolerance. One issue may be that the potential movers and shakers in Saudi Arabia are mostly from the well-educated, affluent elite, thereby limiting their ability to influence segments of Saudi society where intolerance is strongly rooted and where resistance to change is deeply entrenched. END COMMENT. QUINN