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

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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

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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

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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