DRL-IRF OFFICER FINDS GREATER TOLERANCE BUT NO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 000822

SIPDIS

FOR DRL-IRF OFFICER ZAIBACK AND NEA/ARP HARRIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2019
TAGS: PHUM SCUL SA
SUBJECT: DRL-IRF OFFICER FINDS GREATER TOLERANCE BUT NO
OFFICIALS IN RIYADH

RIYADH 00000822 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: CDA Ambassador Richard Erdman, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

SUMMARY
- - - -


1. (C) DRL/IRF Officer Abdelnour Zaiback visited Riyadh on
May 5 for meetings to discuss religious freedom in Saudi
Arabia. The Filipino Ambassador stated that economic
incentives and the prospect of lenient legal treatment
encourage Filipino expat workers to convert to Islam. A
Sunni religious scholar opined that a return to "pure" Islam
would lead to greater religious
tolerance. Expat Christians cited restrictions in their
ability to worship privately, but noted overall greater
tolerance. Zaiback's did not meet with any Saudi government
official, an indication of the SAG's continued sensitivity on
the subject of religious freedom, notwithstanding the King's
Interfaith Dialogue initiative. End Summary.


PHILIPPINE AMBASSADOR:
ECONOMIC NECESSITY PROMPTS RELIGIOUS CONVERSIONS
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --


2. (SBU) Philippine Ambassador, Antonio Villamor, told
Zaiback that labor issues, especially problems facing
domestic employees, are more pressing for Filipino workers in
the Kingdom than religious freedom. However, there is a
connection, the Ambassador commented, because many Filipinos
convert to Islam for economic reasons. There are more job
opportunities for Muslims, especially in Mecca and Medina as
well as better financial incentives for Muslim workers than
for non-Muslims. Ambassador Villamor did not cite any cases
of forced conversion, but mentioned that Islamic centers and
Muslim religious groups across the Kingdom sponsor events
targeting the Christian minority where translated Islamic
religious materials are readily available. Ambassador
Villamor also mentioned that many jailed Filipinos convert to
Islam because judges may be more lenient, and crime victims'
families more forgiving, with a fellow Muslim. (Note: Under
Saudi law, prisoners can shorten their sentences or earn
early release by memorizing the Quran.)


SUNNI REFORMER:
THE QURAN IS THE WAY TO TOLERANCE
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


3. (C) On a visit to the home of Sunni religious reformer
Hassan al-Maleki (STRICTLY PROTECT),al-Maleki told Zaiback
he called for religious tolerance, which he believed was
supported by numerous Quranic verses. The problem, al-Maleki
argued, is that Islam in Saudi Arabia is no longer about the
words found in the Quran, but instead is about preserving the
interests of the Saudi government through the politicization
and militarization of the Quran and numerous hadiths. There
are many ways of interpreting the hadiths and therein lies a
major problem, claimed al-Maleki. Al-Maleki believes that if
Islamic scholars and Muslims can return to the Quran, the
"pure, unfiltered foundation of Islam," then the political
authority in Saudi Arabia will be forced to uphold a more
tolerant and liberal rule of law, especially with regard to
religious freedom.


Al-MALEKI: HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


4. (C) Three months before the Prophet Muhammad's death, he
signed a treaty with Christians, began al-Maleki. This
treaty demonstrated that the Prophet wished for national
unity, not religious unity. In essence, the treaty
symbolized tolerance among different religions which is now
missing in Saudi Arabia. The Quran states that no one can be
forced to convert to Islam and that non-Muslims may go to
paradise if they do not know about Islam, but that liberal
Quranic passages such as these have been all but forgotten by
the political authority in the Kingdom. In fact, al-Maleki
continued, ever since the time of Omar, the second Caliph,
Islam has been politicized to enable Arab rulers to govern
with religious as well as political authority. This same
political authority encourages memorizing rather than
understanding the Quran, which only
helps preserve the authority and self-interest of those in
power. Muslim rulers, concluded al-Maleki, wear a "political
hijab" that prevents them from seeing the true message of
Islam.


RIYADH 00000822 002.2 OF 002



LOCAL CHRISTIANS: INCREASED
TOLERANCE FOR PRIVATE WORSHIP
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


5. (SBU) Zaiback attended an Embassy-hosted luncheon for
Bishop Paul Hinder, the Vicar Apostolic of the Arabian
Peninsula, who was visiting from his seat in Dubai, and other
guests active in the Riyadh Christian community, especially
the Catholic Church. Attendees included Philippine
Ambassador Villamor, Mexican and Spanish diplomats, and, U.S.
citizens living in the Kingdom.
Before saying grace, Bishop Hinder expressed his gratitude to
the Embassy for continuing to support the pursuit of
religious freedom in Saudi Arabia.


6. (C) Participants actively discussed issues surrounding
private church services, euphemistically referred to as
"meetings." Usually held on a Thursday or Friday, attendance
at
"meetings" is usually limited to 35 people so as to stay
under the Saudi government's radar. However, larger
"meetings" are hosted by some of the bigger embassies. For
example, Embassy Riyadh hosts a weekly "meeting" attended by
about 260 people, the maximum that can be accommodated in the
multipurpose room, with an additional 200 people on a waiting
list. Sporadically questioned by the guards at the entrance
gates, meeting participants are possibly subject to
surveillance: two members indicated witnessing an unknown
person occasionally writing down the license plate numbers of
vehicles in the Embassy parking lot during Friday morning
meetings. On a positive note, no guest mentioned having
recent difficulty transporting religious objects/materials
into the country, as opposed to years past when the same
religious materials were confiscated by customs agents.


COMMENT
- - - -


7. (C) Despite the interfaith dialogue, scrutiny of
religious freedom in Saudi Arabia continues to be a highly
sensitive subject for the Saudi government, as demonstrated
by the SAG's refusal to approve Zaiback's official meetings
in a timely manner. Al-Maleki's view that the Quran expounds
religious tolerance shows that reformers and conservatives in
Saudi Arabia disagree over Quranic interpretation, not over
the issue of being more or less religious.


8. (C) NOTE: A few days after Zaiback's visit, a court of
cassation upheld the Ministry of Education's (MOE) decision
to fire al-Maleki seven years ago, as a result of his
"extreme" religious views advocating tolerance. A year and a
half ago, a lower court overturned the Ministry's decision to
terminate him, ruling that he must be returned to his
workplace and be granted all of his employment rights. Post
believes the timing of Zaiback's meeting with al-Maleki and
the recent court decision to be coincidental. End Note.


9. (U) Mr. Zaiback cleared this telegram.

ERDMAN
ERDMAN