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 - - - - ¶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 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶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 - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶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 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶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 - - - - ¶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