NATIONAL DIALOGUE: STRENGTHENING NATIONAL UNITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 RIYADH 001012

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/ARP JHARRIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SA SOCI
SUBJECT: NATIONAL DIALOGUE: STRENGTHENING NATIONAL UNITY
AND BRIDGING DIFFERENCES

REF: RIYADH 922

RIYADH 00001012 001.2 OF 003


SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) Secretary General Faisal al-Moammar of the National
Dialogue Center told Charge July 27 that King Abdullah had
created the national dialogue campaign - aimed at promoting
tolerance and moderation in Saudi society - because of Saudi
society's reluctance to embrace change and serious
differences between Saudi religious leaders on major
religious and world issues. Al-Moammar described mosques,
schools, and the family as the most important influences
shaping Saudi attitudes and said the Center therefore
targeted these institutions using various events, training
courses, and seminars. Education reform was essential, he
said, and was not just a matter of textbooks and curriculum,
but of "modernizing" how teachers think. Al-Moammar said
before and after polling of participants in various programs
indicated the campaign was producing measurable results in
promoting greater tolerance and positive change in Saudi
society, and in the process strengthening national unity and
understanding of mainstream Islamic values.


THE CENTER: BRINGING TOGETHER DIFFERENT VOICES
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2. (SBU) The Charge met July 27 with Faisal al-Moammar,
Secretary General of the King Abdulaziz Center for National
Dialogue (KACND) to discuss Saudi Arabia's societal need for
a dialogue center in promoting a culture of dialogue and
tolerance (reftel). Al-Moammar, who concurrently serves as
the Deputy Minister of Education and as an advisor to King
Abdullah, discussed how prior to September 11, King Abdullah
found that Saudi religious leaders seriously disagreed on
major religious and world issues. This led the King in early
2003 to convene 35 religious scholars, all men, from the
Ulema to discuss their differing opinions and ideas. The
King Abdulaziz Public Library was chosen as the venue for the
meeting, al-Moammar wryly noted, so the scholars could turn
to the 1.5 million books in the library for answers, should
they not be able to agree among themselves.


3. (SBU) According to al-Moammar, the meeting was "not
relaxed" due to extremists, moderates and liberals as well as
different religious sects sitting down at the same table for
the first time. However, the atmosphere improved from no
handshakes on the first day to offering personal invitations
to their private homes on the third and final day of
discussions. The single recommendation to come out of the
3-day meeting was the creation of a permanent dialogue
center, and shortly thereafter, the King tasked al-Moammar
with the creation of the National Dialogue Center.


SAUDI SOCIETY RESISTANT TO CHANGE
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4. (SBU) A "new" and relatively isolated country for much of
its history, al-Moammar explained, "Saudi Arabia is the only
country where change is introduced by the government and
resisted by society." As the Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques, every Muslim looks to Mecca and, therefore, to Saudi
Arabia. Saudis see themselves as responsible for upholding
Islam and associate change with outside influences that
negatively affect this role. Saudi society thus has a
difficult time adjusting to change and tends to resist or
question new ideas and reforms, particularly those coming
from outside the kingdom. Although Saudi Arabia is
experiencing a "Golden" period characterized by rapid
development and reform, "change does not mean affecting core
beliefs and values," al-Moammar emphasized.


THREE PLACES OF INFLUENCE: THE MOSQUE, SCHOOL AND FAMILY
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5. (SBU) Al-Moammar opined that the programs and training
offered by the Center are specifically designed to encourage
and facilitate dialogue in the mosque, school and family -
the three places of great influence on one's beliefs and
values in Saudi society. He highlighted that instead of
solely being used as a place of worship, mosques should
function more like a community center as they did in the
past, used for discussions and exchange of ideas. As
important community leaders with far-reaching influence, many
clerics have participated in and benefited from the KACND

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dialogue training programs and seminars. As a result, these
clerics set a crucial example for tolerant discourse in Saudi
society.


6. (SBU) Briefly putting on his Deputy Minister of Education
hat, al-Moammar discussed at length educational reform and
the important role of teachers in creating a more tolerant
learning environment. Although the amount of time spent on
religion in relation to the sciences has not changed, he
said, the way religion is taught and interpreted has
improved. Dialogue that encourages students to accept others
while still holding true to Islam is the new way of thinking.
He emphasized, however, that improving and modernizing
education does not mean changing peoples' beliefs. Another
KACND official noted that "science and seeking knowledge is a
must in Islam." Religious leaders, she continued, must
understand that students should be taught to "see God through
physics, the sciences and math classes as well as through
creativity and invention." It should not just be in religion
class where students learn the Quran and Sunna in an isolated
learning environment.


7. (SBU) Additionally, al-Moammar indicated that the quality
and teaching methods of teachers and the Saudi curriculum
have also improved. Alluding to continuing problems with
many teachers, he emphasized that the "thinking of teachers
must be modernized." To this end, the KACND signed
Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with the Ministry of
Education (MOE) and multiple universities to involve teachers
and professors in the dialogue training programs. Recently,
the King approved $9 billion to modernize the Saudi education
system including new and renovated schools, revised
curriculums, long-distance learning programs, and mobile
schools in rural areas. Al-Moammar claimed that 2 new school
buildings per day and 80 per month are being constructed.


IS THE KACND AFFECTING POSITIVE CHANGE?
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8. (SBU) Al-Moammar opined that relating the importance and
need for dialogue and increased toleration directly to
Islamic principles is the best way to affect positive change
in peoples' behaviors and attitudes. For example, a pure
Quranic text of a conversation between God and Satan is often
cited to show that dialogue is a part of Islam and should be
embraced. When asked by the Charge how effective the KACND
is in promoting tolerance and understanding, al-Moammar
explained how the KACND conducts monitoring and evaluation of
its programs through participant questionnaires that measure
attitudes and behavior both before and after the training
program or seminar. In this regard, a recent 5 year report
compiled by the KACND indicates that the various training
programs are successfully affecting positive change in
participants.


9. (SBU) Additionally, al-Moammar mentioned that the KACND
signed an agreement with a major company to develop and
conduct public opinion polls to more clearly identify what
Saudis are thinking and what issues are important in their
lives. "This is a breakthrough" he stated, because for the
first time, a Saudi organization with the public's trust and
the King's approval will conduct opinion polls as opposed to
outsiders unfamiliar with the country and Saudi society.


THE KACND: BACKGROUND
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10. (SBU) Beginning in 2003, the KACND has held an annual
National Meeting for Intellectual Dialogue focusing on a
different subject of national interest each year. Topics
have included national unity, moderation, women's rights and
obligations, youth, cross-cultural understanding, education
and employment. The 8th dialogue meeting, currently
underway, focuses on healthcare. Participants represent
different ideologies, regions and segments of society, and
include representatives from different religious sects, the
Ulema, university faculty and teachers, sociologists,
economists, youth, businessmen and Islamic scholars and
imams. The national meetings not only discuss differences in
ideas, but also question services provided by the Saudi
government. Interestingly, while the first national meeting
had 30 participants, all of whom were men, there was now
equal participation of men and women and the last national
meeting had 1,000 participants. The King hears
recommendations from the meetings and a special committee
studies and reviews the recommendations. In this way, public

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opinion is brought directly to the decision makers through
the national meetings.


11. (SBU) The KACND has also developed and conducted a
number of training programs, workshops and seminars aimed at
the public although a number of MOUs have been signed with
government ministries including the MOE and the Center for
the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (CPVPV).
There is a Certified Trainers Program (reftel) which has
certified 1,200 Saudis in 42 cities as well as a Family
Dialogue Program, the Ambassador's (Safeer) Program which
focuses on cross-cultural understanding between Saudi and
foreign students, and community training programs which help
Saudis adjust to different cultures. Al-Moammar mentioned
that the KACND is looking to expand the Ambassador's program
to include participation from American students.


COMMENT
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12. (SBU) More than having the King's stamp of approval, the
KACND was the King's own vision in order to foster an
environment of tolerance and dialogue on Saudi public
consciousness while defeating extremism thinking at home and
anti-Islamic thinking abroad. By embracing the principles of
Islam while promoting national dialogue, the KACND has
successfully navigated around the hurdle of the conservative
religious establishment, which is often the biggest obstacle
when dealing with change and reform in Saudi Arabia.

ERDMAN