Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09KUWAIT1180
2009-12-16 13:47:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:
KUWAIT AIRPORT TURNS AWAY "APOSTATE" EGYPTIAN
how-toVZCZCXRO7800 PP RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHDIR DE RUEHKU #1180 3501347 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 161347Z DEC 09 FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4326 INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 1193 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 001180
SIPDIS
NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KMPI PREL KU
SUBJECT: KUWAIT AIRPORT TURNS AWAY "APOSTATE" EGYPTIAN
SCHOLAR
Classified By: PolCouns Pete O'Donohue for reasons 1.4 b and d
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 001180
SIPDIS
NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KMPI PREL KU
SUBJECT: KUWAIT AIRPORT TURNS AWAY "APOSTATE" EGYPTIAN
SCHOLAR
Classified By: PolCouns Pete O'Donohue for reasons 1.4 b and d
1. (U) GOK authorities at Kuwait's International Airport
refused entry to Egyptian literary scholar Dr. Nasir Hamid
Abu Zayid on December 15, a decision that has angered local
Kuwaiti liberal groups. Abu Zayid -- who was declared an
apostate by an Egyptian court in 1995 for his analysis of the
Quran as a mythical literary work and ordered to divorce his
Muslim wife -- had been scheduled to attend a forum in Kuwait
organized by the NGO Hiwar ("Dialogue") held at the Women's
Social and Cultural Society. Hiwar founder Talib Al-Moli
denounced the decision to block Abu Zayid's entry, saying
that "any Kuwaiti citizen has the right to invite any
thinker." Predictably, Islamist MP Dr. Walid Al-Tabtabaie
denounced the NGOs' decision to invite Abu Zayid as an
obvious provocation against Kuwait's Muslim community.
Egyptian Embassy Political Counselor Khalid commented to
Polcouns that Abu Zayid's denial of entry clearly reflected
the growing influence of Islamists in Kuwait.
2. (C) Comment: The GOK decision to deny entry to a
controversial figure like Abu Zayid is unsurprising. What is
noteworthy is that in a Kuwaiti society increasingly trending
conservative, there remains a receptive audience for thinkers
like Abu Zayid -- and liberals prepared to advocate without
fear to ensure that such voices can still be heard.
********************************************* *********
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit:
visit Kuwait's Classified Website at:
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it
********************************************* *********
JONES
SIPDIS
NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KMPI PREL KU
SUBJECT: KUWAIT AIRPORT TURNS AWAY "APOSTATE" EGYPTIAN
SCHOLAR
Classified By: PolCouns Pete O'Donohue for reasons 1.4 b and d
1. (U) GOK authorities at Kuwait's International Airport
refused entry to Egyptian literary scholar Dr. Nasir Hamid
Abu Zayid on December 15, a decision that has angered local
Kuwaiti liberal groups. Abu Zayid -- who was declared an
apostate by an Egyptian court in 1995 for his analysis of the
Quran as a mythical literary work and ordered to divorce his
Muslim wife -- had been scheduled to attend a forum in Kuwait
organized by the NGO Hiwar ("Dialogue") held at the Women's
Social and Cultural Society. Hiwar founder Talib Al-Moli
denounced the decision to block Abu Zayid's entry, saying
that "any Kuwaiti citizen has the right to invite any
thinker." Predictably, Islamist MP Dr. Walid Al-Tabtabaie
denounced the NGOs' decision to invite Abu Zayid as an
obvious provocation against Kuwait's Muslim community.
Egyptian Embassy Political Counselor Khalid commented to
Polcouns that Abu Zayid's denial of entry clearly reflected
the growing influence of Islamists in Kuwait.
2. (C) Comment: The GOK decision to deny entry to a
controversial figure like Abu Zayid is unsurprising. What is
noteworthy is that in a Kuwaiti society increasingly trending
conservative, there remains a receptive audience for thinkers
like Abu Zayid -- and liberals prepared to advocate without
fear to ensure that such voices can still be heard.
********************************************* *********
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit:
visit Kuwait's Classified Website at:
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it
********************************************* *********
JONES