EVIDENCE OF MORALITY POLICE CRACKING DOWN IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JEDDAH 000292 NOFORN SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR FOR NEA/ARP, DRL, DS/IP/NEA, DS/IP/ITA, GCC FOR RSO AND POL, RIYADH AND DHAHRAN FOR RSO AND POL E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/06/2014 TAGS: ASEC KISL KPAO PGOV PHUM SA SOCI SUBJECT: EVIDENCE OF MORALITY POLICE CRACKING DOWN IN JEDDAH ENVIRONS REF: JEDDAH 0267 JEDDAH 00000292 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: Consul General Martin R. Quinn for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d) ¶1. (C) Summary. The city of Jeddah is experiencing what appears to be one of the periodic crackdowns by the CPVPV (Committee for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice) morality police. Last month's cancellation of the Jeddah Film Festival was one likely manifestation of stricter enforcement of the general prohibition against cinema and "unIslamic" mixed gender gatherings. Reports of CPVPV's opening offices in the North Jeddah area as well as several incidents of heightened vigilance at restaurants, shopping malls and beaches are other signs. Reports abound of Prince Nayif's role in the crackdown. End summary. FILM FESTIVAL CANCELLATION -------------- ¶2. (C) The cancellation on the eve of its opening of the widely-advertised fourth annual Jeddah Film Festival, scheduled to open July 18, is widely thought to be a concession to the Committee for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (CPVPV),also known as the Haia (Commission) or Mutawa'een (Volunteers). Some speculation suggests that the cancellation represents the effort of Second Deputy PM/Interior Minister Prince Nayif to win support from conservative Islamic quarters in order to solidify his power base (reftel). NEW OFFICES FOR THE CPVPV -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Al Madina Arabic daily reported August 5 that Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Sheikh, praised the decision of Prince Nayif to establish new offices of the CPVPV in locations where the Committee was not previously active. The paper added that during his meeting with the CPVPV president and branch members in Mecca, Prince Nayif urged "compassion and patience in dealing with offenders." It has been reported elsewhere that CPVPV members raided a poetry event in Al Baha, part of the Raghdan Forest Touristic Festival, which had to be stopped because "... the Omani national female poet (Sara Al Breiki) had no license to participate." The festival manager claimed there was no mixed- gender audience and Ms. Al Breiki was covered, sitting 5 meters away from male participants. ENFORCEMENT IN SHOPPING MALLS AND RESTAURANTS -------------- ¶4. (C) Consulate staff have noticed a more conspicuous presence of mutawa'een patrols at local shopping malls, usually packed with shoppers including single men and women, couples, families and children. Lately mall security officers have been turning away single men and more strictly enforcing shop closings during prayer time. Over the weekend mutawa'een, accompanied by Saudi police, were seen stopping at shops and admonishing managers and clerks for having their shutters open or doors unlocked. In several cases where lax practice was noticed, store clerks were observed being physically taken into custody by the CPVPV-police teams. One shop owner, sporting a silver necklace and heard expressing disgust at the strict measures, was detained and threatened with jail. ¶5. (C) In another incident last week in Yanbu, 400 kilometers north of Jeddah, a restaurant waiter's residence permit (iqama) was seized prior to his arrest by the morality police after the waiter had generously allowed several foreigners dining in the restaurant to finish their meals after the start of prayer time -- instead of requiring them to depart the premises. BEACH PATROLS AT DURAT AL AROOS AND OBHUR RESORTS -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) Two weeks ago the Mutawa'een are believed to have opened a permanent office at one of Jeddah's most popular and JEDDAH 00000292 002.2 OF 003 liberated beach communities, Durat Al Aroos ("Pearl of the Bride," the city of Jeddah being the Bride),a weekend/holiday resort with marina, frequented by upscale Saudis, expats, and diplomats, 45 minutes north of Jeddah, near the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) sites. Created by Saudi billionaire contractor Saleh Kamel and open since 1997, the Durat Al Aroos atmosphere is in some respects even more open and casual than at the North Jeddah private beaches of Obhur. In Durat Al Aroos Saudi women can be seen driving golf carts as well as cars while blithely ignoring the abaya rules. The rich enjoy their villas, private beaches, pools and boats while middle class Arab families congregate on 3-star hotel room patios and balconies watching their children frolic in swimming pools. Local residents reportedly throw parties along the marina boardwalk where mixed-gender groups of Saudi youth have been seen to mingle -- in defiance of local custom. Stories from multiple sources tell of an operating brothel, of a liquor smuggling operation, and of streets littered with whisky bottles and plastic containers of "Sid" (local moonshine) on mornings after nocturnal indulgence. One religiously-observant, but otherwise western-oriented Saudi business executive and art collector who educates his children in the US, with his own well-appointed villa on prime seafront, complained three months ago that the situation had become so bad at Durat Al Aroos that he would almost welcome the mutawa'een. (Comment: His wish has been granted; the CPVPV have arrived. End comment.) ¶7. (C) Owners of resort properties along the beaches in Obhur are concerned that CPVPV presence will cut into their business and profits while claiming that the beach raids are almost always against Saudis and other Arabs -- as opposed to Western expats, who are usually considered "off limits" to the enforcers. During raids at Crystal Beach, Balad Beach and Shati Beach, the mutawa'een reportedly went after Saudis exclusively but did not disturb anyone who appeared to be a non-Arab. The manager of the popular Silver Sands Beach (protect) told ConGen officers that he was obliged to escort mutawa'een to the beach in order to point out to them whom they ought to leave alone (villa owners, Westerners, diplomats, Saudi royalty, etc.) and whom they might safely interdict or harass without fear of complication or wasta. MUFTI URGING CPVPV TO PRACTICE RESTRAINT, PATIENCE, -------------- -------------- ETHICS IN PROTECTING THE NATION FROM THE WRATH OF GOD -------------- -------------- ¶8. (C) MFA Protocol Chief Alaskary recently told Charge that Prince Nayif's decision to allow the CPVPV to open an office in Obhur was done "to appease" the enforcement zealots, but claimed they were nevertheless under strict orders to remain indoors and out of sight. August 6 press reports tend to support the Government's official position that CPVPV operations have been deliberately hobbled. Grand Mufti Al Sheikh is quoted, in Arabic daily Al Watan, as having urged the CPVPV Mecca regional chief to be "patient with those who disobey" and to "investigate the facts before arresting any person." ¶9. (U) Further, according to Al Watan, the Grand Mufti instructed the CPVPV on "the importance of fulfilling their duties, completing their responsibilities and delivering their message of goodness and reform, calling on them to be united and to accept positive criticism. The Mufti stressed that the Committee members must maintain a level of ethics and understanding with awareness and concern to direct the reform of society and to be present everywhere as men of virtue andmercy. He also said that people need to be guided and rescued from seduction and to be shown the sraight path. The Muftiurged CPVPV members to be resent in the media and in community as well as n public parks and youth forums in order to counel them -- for the safety of the naion from the punishment of God." COMMENT: PRINCE NAYIF -------------- ¶10. (C) The SAG has long had to balance competing demands from religious and liberal forces in Saudi Arabia's polarized JEDDAH 00000292 003.2 OF 003 society. The CPVPV's visibility, which has waxed and waned over the years, has been one measure of which side is ascendant. A common view of this latest surge is that Prince Nayif may be rallying his conservative political base. The Mission's view is that it would be a mistake to see Nayif in opposition to the King. Instead, it would appear that while Nayif has acted to uphold the CPVPV's symbolic role, he may in fact be curbing its reach. In this regard, several contacts have noted to Charge that Prince Nayif has in fact become more moderate since becoming second deputy prime minister, where his responsibilities and constitutencies go well beyond those of his law enforcement- oriented Minister of Interior portfolio. However, in this conspiracy-minded Kingdom, there are other views of what is happening: one contact ventured the claim that Nayif actually owns 50 percent of Durat Al Aroos and that he might be trying to use the CPVPV to drive down local prices since many vacant lots and houses are currently up for sale. How well the CPVPV actually comply with the Grand Mufti's injunction to practice merciful forbearance is one topic Post aspires to monitor. End comment. 11.(U) This message has been coordinated with Embassy Riyadh. QUINN