SAUDI HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST DECRIES STATUS OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 000824

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/ARP HARRIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2009
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SA SOCI KWMN
SUBJECT: SAUDI HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST DECRIES STATUS OF
WOMEN & SHI'A

REF: A. RIYADH 346

B. DHAHRAN 8

C. JEDDAH 85

D. DHAHRAN 14

E. DHAHRAN 46

RIYADH 00000824 001.2 OF 002


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

SUMMARY
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1. (C) Saudi human rights activist Ibrahim Mugaiteeb told
Poloff that the Kingdom's most pressing human rights issues
were the status of women and the deteriorating situation of
the Shi'a. Founder of Human Rights First Society, Mugaiteeb
urged the USG to press the SAG to recognize non-governmental
organizations. End Summary.


WOMEN'S RIGHTS: LEGAL STATUS VS. THE RIGHT TO DRIVE
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2. (C) Saudi human rights activist Ibrahim Mugaiteeb met
with Poloff on June 17 to discuss the current human rights
situation in the Kingdom. Mugaiteeb identified what he
considered the two most pressing human rights issues: the
status of women and the deteriorating situation of the Shi'a.
Noting that women comprise slightly more than 50% of the
Saudi population, Mugaiteeb opined that the Saudi women's
movement needed to focus on gaining independent legal
identities equal to those of men. Mugaiteeb feared the right
to drive, which attracted a lot of media attention, was a
dangerous distraction. Western governments would likely view
a change in this policy as a major success for Saudi women.
In Mugaiteeb's opinion, however, the right to drive would
have very little impact on the majority of Saudi women, since
it would not eliminate the legal requirement for the
permission of a related male that most women need to travel,
work, own a business, etc. Changes to recognize and protect
the legal status of women, on the other hand, would empower
women to make basic choices about their lives.


SHI'A SITUATION WORSENING
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3. (C) Mugaiteeb, himself a Shi'a, averred that the
situation of the Shi'a (who comprise about 10% of the Saudi
population) had worsened in the past eighteen months.
Mugaiteeb pointed to a number of incidents of religious and
political discrimination:

-- The recent closure of three Shi'a mosques/places of
worship in al-Khobar which, although technically illegal due
to a lack of government approval, had been in use for over 20
years.

-- The arrest of a prominent Shi'a cleric, Abdullah Saleh
al-Muhanna, arrested in May for leading Friday prayers in a
prayer place attached to his own home.

-- The frequent jailing of Shi'a, including leading clerics
such as Sheikh Tawfiq al-Amer, for the "offense" of adding
the name of the Caliph Ali to the prayer call. (NOTE: The
call to prayer includes a declaration of Muslim beliefs i.e.,
"There is no god but God and Muhammad is his messenger." The
Shi'a like to add the phrase "and Ali is beloved of God,"
which many Wahhabis believe is blasphemous. End note.)

-- The King's failure to appoint any Shi'a to senior
positions during his February 14 cabinet reshuffle.

-- The charge by an influential Sunni imam, Sheikh
al-Kalbani, that Shi'a who did not agree with the Sunni view
of the correct succession to the Prophet Muhammad were
"infidels," which led to an outcry among Shi'a demanding his
dismissal.

Other recent events included the Baqi'a cemetery incident
(Ref A, B, C and D) and protests in Awamiyya (Ref E),which
have resulted in heightened tensions, especially in the
Eastern Province.


NGO'S MUST BE LEGITIMIZED BY LICENSING
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4. (C) Mugaiteeb raised the issue of the Saudi government's
refusal to license NGO's in the Kingdom as a major roadblock
for advancing human rights. Mugaiteeb's organization, Human
Rights First Society (HRFS),is a widely-recognized private
human rights organization, but it lacks legitimacy and
struggles for funding because the Saudi government refuses to
issue the organization an official license. HRFS applied for
a license on three separate occasions, and on each occasion,
the Saudi government denied the license. Mugaiteeb, who is
in very poor health, expressed his worry that no member of
HRFS is willing to step forward and help shoulder the
responsibility of running the organization out of fear of the
Saudi government since HRFS is not a legitimate organization.
Mugaiteeb also claimed that although many EU countries have
been very active in supporting HRFS and human rights in the
Kingdom, he noted that "the U.S. is the only country that has
the power to really do something." Mugaiteeb asserted U.S.
support is essential if HRFS is to be successful in obtaining
a license, thereby legitimizing the work of the organization
and the human rights movement in the Kingdom.

COMMENT
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5. (C) There is an atmosphere of distrust amongst activists,
and fear of the Saudi government, which hampers the
development of an effective human rights movement. Until
organizations such as HRFS are officially recognized by the
Saudi government, ordinary Saudis will be reluctant to engage
openly to advance human rights.

ERDMAN