THREATS OF IRANIAN PROTESTS AND H1N1 LOOM OVER HAJJ

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JEDDAH 000452 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/ARP (HARRIS),NEA/IR, DRL E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2029 TAGS: IR KIRF KISL PGOV PREL KFLU SA SUBJECT: THREATS OF IRANIAN PROTESTS AND H1N1 LOOM OVER HAJJ REF: A. RIYADH 1510 AND PREVIOUS ¶B. RIYADH 1507 JEDDAH 00000452 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: Consul General Martin R. Quinn for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Saudi Arabian Government (SAG) continues to prepare for the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, which will take place November 25)27. While concerns over the spread of H1N1 may lead to significantly fewer pilgrims participating in this year,s pilgrimage, SAG officials appear to have taken prudent measures to reduce the spread of the virus among pilgrims. To date, four pilgrims have died from swine flu, though reportedly all victims were elderly or had pre-existing medical conditions which made them more vulnerable to the virus. Reports indicate that SAG is prepared in the event an outbreak occurs, and several CDC officials are in Mecca in Jeddah assisting the Saudi efforts. Larger concerns seem to swirl around the prospect of Iranian protests as Iran has made recent claims that their citizens are mistreated during the pilgrimage. ¶2. (SBU) Additionally, this year,s pilgrims will find completed construction projects developed by SAG in its ongoing efforts to ensure pilgrims have a safe and relatively comfortable experience. While pilgrims will likely welcome the expansion of the Jamarat Bridge, in the past has been the site of catastrophic stampedes, a sampling of early pilgrims indicates that many will not be so pleased with the opening of a new super mall adjacent to the Holy Mosque. End summary. H1N1 PREPAREDNESS; FOUR FATALITIES TO DATE -------------- ¶3. (SBU) SAG officials as well as officials from the CDC have expressed confidence in the Kingdom,s preparedness for H1N1. The media announced November 21 that four pilgrims died from swine flu complications shortly after arriving in country for the Hajj. Three of the victims, all 75 years old, from the nations of Sudan, India and Morocco, ignored SAG recommendations which asked that people over the age of 65 not attend this year,s Hajj. The fourth victim was a 17-year-old woman from Nigeria. According to the Saudi Ministry of Health, none of the victims had received the H1N1 vaccination. ¶4. (SBU) At a November 5 meeting in Mecca, Dr. Sahl Al-Sabban, Deputy Minister of Hajj, addressed the Kingdom,s Hajj preparations in light of the H1N1 threat. Sabban explained that acquisition of a Hajj visa implied that a pilgrim had been pre-screened for health concerns. All persons applying for Hajj visas at Saudi embassies must present vaccination certificates to include meningitis and seasonal flu as well as H1N1, if available, prior to travel; health certificates are presented to show pilgrims to be free of chronic or communicable disease. Upon arrival in Saudi Arabia, all pilgrims pass through heat sensors and those found to be feverish are denied entry or quarantined until screened by health officials. Sabban noted that the Ministry of Health has increased the number of available hospitals and clinics at the Hajj sites of Mina, Mecca and ARAFAT and has opened a new health center for pilgrims in Jeddah (ref A). ¶5. (SBU) CDC officials, operating in the Kingdom at the invitation of SAG since April to help with H1N1 preparedness, recently released a report on the status of their operation. Surveillance hospital capacity and other aspects of preparedness were field-tested during the peak Umrah season in August, which brought close to 2 million pilgrims to Mecca. According to the CDC, SAG Ministry of Health officials confirmed there were only 26 cases of H1N1 (and no deaths) during this period. The CDC report further stated that "as a continuation of preparedness plans for Hajj, efforts are under way to assure live linkages between the public health and emergency services operations under the SAG MoH and the Ministry of Civil Defense. Both entities will jointly determine potential triggers for activating the Civil Defense Emergency Plan should the pandemic pattern change. ¶6. (SBU) In recent trips to Mecca and Medina Conoffs witnessed the interaction of several thousand pilgrims who had arrived early for the Hajj prayers. While some wore protective masks, the majority seemed oblivious to concerns about contracting the H1N1 virus. American pilgrims, in particular, expressed a sense of ease about the threat during a November 20 meeting in Medina. Hajj leader Yusef Wazeruddin said that his group and most American Muslims he knew were not too concerned about H1N1, commenting, "There was no major outbreak during Ramadan when many pilgrims made umrah, so no one is really concerned that it will be a JEDDAH 00000452 002.2 OF 003 problem now." IRAN AND POLITICIZING THE HAJJ -------------- ¶7. (C) Saudi officials seem more concerned over potential political protests from their Iranian neighbors than an outbreak of H1N1. In response to Iranian President Ahmadinejad,s allegations that Saudi Arabia might abuse Shiite pilgrims from Iran during the Hajj, the Saudis have reacted with sharp warnings to keep politics out of the Hajj and reiterated the Kingdom's right to defend its territory against attacks (ref B). Saudi Hajj Minister Fouad al-Farsy (a Duke University graduate) said Iran should not take advantage of the pilgrimage for political purposes or to promote its own agenda. King Abdullah publicly announced that Saudi Arabia would not allow any political demonstrations or political signs and banners during this Hajj season. Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif said in a November 22 press conference that the SAG had ¬ demanded any special pledge from any group8 but that everybody knew it &rejects anything that violates the sanctity of the occasion8 and that the SAG deals &with those who tamper with Haj security with total force and resolve.8 About 100,000 security officers have been deployed to the holy sites to ensure the protection and safety of pilgrims. ¶8. (SBU) According to Saudi newspapers, Palestinian and Egyptian officials have joined calls by the SAG to keep politics out of the Hajj. Dr. Mahmoood Al-Habbash, Palestinian Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs, said any actions aimed at disturbing the Hajj are inconsistent with the principles of the Hajj ritual. Likewise, Dr. Ali Al-Mussailihi, Egyptian Minister of Social Affairs and head of the Egyptian Hajj mission, described any disturbances as &deviant.8 ¶9. (SBU) Approximately 60,000 Iranians are expected to participate in this year,s Hajj. Saudis remember that in 1987 Iranian pilgrims mounted demonstrations which resulted in heavy clashes between Saudi security forces and demonstrators causing over 400 deaths. REDUCING THE THREAT OF STAMPEDES -------------- ¶10. (SBU) During his meeting with ConOffs, Dr. Sabban pointed to the Jamarat Pedestrian Bridge as an area in which the Kingdom had made major safety improvements, noting that this year,s pilgrims would benefit from the completion of the fifth and final phase of the $1.2 billion Jamarat project. The Jamarat Bridge is constructed around three pillars at which pilgrims throw small stones or pebbles in the "stoning the devil" ritual. In past years, many pilgrims died in stampedes during the course of this exercise; the worst incident occurred in 2006 when 364 pilgrims lost their lives in a crush of bodies at the bridge entrance. In an effort to prevent future catastrophes, Saudi authorities have constructed a five-story bridge to accommodate larger numbers of pilgrims and to allow smoother movement in and out of the facility. The state-of-the-art bridge has 10 entrances and 12 exits distributed over five levels and will allow 300,000 pilgrims to throw stones every hour. According Sabban, guards will be posted along the roads leading to the facility to stop the flow of pilgrims when the number reaches 300,000. SUPER MALL ADJACENT TO HOLY MOSQUE NOT WELL RECEIVED -------------- -------------- ¶11. (C) ConOffs made a brief visit to the large, new shopping mall located across the street from the south entrance to the Holy Mosque. The four-story mall, which includes Starbucks and Hardees, is housed in a massive complex known as the Abraj Al-Bait, built by the Saudi Bin Laden Group. In addition to the mall, the structure boasts residential towers that will house up to 100,000 residents. A number of pilgrims, some visiting Mecca for Umrah and others arriving early for Hajj, were asked their opinions concerning the new facility. Reactions were overwhelmingly negative. Many pilgrims articulated their belief that having a mall towering over the Ka,aba was sacrilegious. Even a number of locals expressed their displeasure with the project, including Hajj Minister Fouad Al-Farsy (protect),who told us, off-the-record, that he "guaranteed" that in twenty years &the structure would be torn down.8 Some Mecca residents fear the new construction will disrupt underground water systems, including the holy well of Zam Zam. When concerns about the well were raised with a Saudi Bin Laden Group representative, they were dismissed as "unfounded" since engineering studies had proved there would be no interference JEDDAH 00000452 003.2 OF 003 with the flow of the sacred water. HAJJ MORALS CAMPAIGN -------------- 12.(SBU) The Emir/Governor of the Mecca region, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, has launched a special Hajj morals campaign to reduce "improper behavior," emphasizing that &being a pilgrim is not an excuse that allows pilgrims to break the rules of Islam and the Kingdom.8 Prince Khaled's mdia campaign focuses on the requirement to obtain proper licenses to perform the Hajj, and is desined to clamp down on gross violations such as seling relics and souvenirs and begging during theHajj. Local Hajj companies are urged not to accpt more than their official quotas of pilgris. The Ministry of Hajj has announced that severe sentences and fines will be imposed on those caught violating the rules. ¶13. (C) COMMENT: The SAG has consistently managed the security and logistical challenges of hosting 2 to 3 million pilgrims during the annual Hajj. This year appears no different with the expansion of the Jamarat Bridge, the source of past problems, as well as the preparations to deal with the H1N1 threat. However, the recent war of words between Tehran and Riyadh over the treatment of Iranian pilgrims and the negative reactions that many Muslims, local and foreign, have had toward the development of commercial real estate next to the Holy Mosque are strong reminders of two constant and larger challenges Saudi Arabia faces with regard to the pilgrimage. First, ensuring that political and factional disagreements that exist in the Muslim World are kept at bay during this mass gathering of believers and, second, ensuring that Muslims at home and abroad continue to view the Saudi leadership as the legitimate and effective protectors of the sanctity of the two Holy Mosques of Islam. End comment. QUINN. QUINN