Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
95RIYADH4074
1995-09-12 11:51:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Riyadh
Cable title:  

SAUDI CLERICS URGE OBEDIENCE TO KING, TAKE

Tags:  PGOV KISL SA 
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R 121151Z SEP 95
FM AMEMBASSY RIYADH
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1218
AMCONSUL DHAHRAN 
AMCONSUL JEDDAH
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 004074 


E.O.12356: DECL: 9/9/2000
TAGS: PGOV KISL SA
SUBJECT: SAUDI CLERICS URGE OBEDIENCE TO KING, TAKE
SWIPE AT ISLAMIC OPPOSITION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 004074


E.O.12356: DECL: 9/9/2000
TAGS: PGOV KISL SA
SUBJECT: SAUDI CLERICS URGE OBEDIENCE TO KING, TAKE
SWIPE AT ISLAMIC OPPOSITION


1. (C) SUMMARY: RIYADH'S LEADING IMAM, TOGETHER WITH A
SHAYKH FORMERLY RENOWNED FOR PUBLICLY OPPOSING AL SAUD
POLICIES, RECENTLY ADVOCATED OBEDIENCE TO KING FAHD AND
UNITY WITHIN THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY. THE OCCASION, A
MOSQUE SEMINAR WHICH WAS UNCHARACTERISTICALLY COVERED BY
A SAUDI NEWSPAPER, MARKED BOTH THE RETURN OF A RADICAL
SHAYKH TO THE AL SAUD FOLD AND THE SAG RELIGIOUS
ESTABLISHMENT'S SUPPORT FOR STRICT MEASURES TAKEN
AGAINST ANYONE ATTEMPTING TO UNDERMINE THE AL SAUD. THE
SEMINAR COMES IN THE WAKE OF SIGNIFICANT DOMESTIC AND
INTERNATIONAL PRESS COVERAGE OF THE EXECUTION OF A CDLR
SUPPORTER ON THE CHARGE OF ATTEMPTING TO DIVIDE THE
MUSLIM COMMUNITY (UMMAH). END SUMMARY


ISLAMIC SEMINAR PROCEEDINGS AKIN TO FATWA
--------------


2. (U) IN THE MOST RECENT EPISODE OF JOCKEYING BETWEEN
THE SAUDI RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT AND ISLAMIST CRITICS
OF THE REGIME WHICH BEGAN IN THE WAKE OF THE GULF WAR,
THREE SHAYKHS PROMINENT WITHIN THE OFFICIAL SAUDI
RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT BANDED TOGETHER IN A PUBLIC
APPEAL FOR OBEDIENCE TO KING FAHD AND UNITY WITHIN THE
SUNNI COMMUNITY. THE TRIO'S MOST VOCAL SPOKESMAN IS A
CLERIC ONCE NOTORIOUS FOR HIS INVOLVEMENT IN THE 1991 -
92 "MEMORANDUM OF ADVICE" AND "PEACE PROCESS" PETITIONS
- WHICH URGED THE KING TO JETTISON THE SAG-U.S.
RELATIONSHIP AND CHART A MORE AUTHENTICALLY ISLAMIC
COURSE - AND FOR HIS FLIRTATION WITH THE LONDON-BASED
COMMITTEE FOR THE DEFENSE OF LEGITIMATE RIGHTS (CDLR).
THE FORUM FOR THIS APPEAL, WHICH ATTRACTED COVERAGE IN
THE SEPTEMBER 2 ISSUE OF THE ARABIC-LANGUAGE SAUDI
NEWSPAPER "OKAZ," WAS A SEMINAR CONDUCTED AT RIYADH'S
"GRAND MOSQUE" - THE LARGEST IN THE CAPITAL - HEADED BY
THE PATRIARCH OF THE AL-SHAYKH FAMILY, WHOSE MEMBERS
COMPRISE THE DESCENDANTS OF MUHAMMAD ABD AL-WAHHAB AND
CONTINUE TO DOMINATE THE RELIGIOUS PILLAR OF THE SAUDI
STATE.


3. (C) SEMINARS ARE ROUTINELY CONDUCTED IN THE MAJOR
MOSQUES OF SAUDI ARABIA AND THEIR THEMES, ACCORDING TO A
LOCAL EMBASSY EMPLOYEE WHO FORMERLY TAUGHT AT THE IMAM
MUHAMMAD BIN SAUD RELIGIOUS UNIVERSITY, CAN BE A
FUNCTION OF A GOVERNMENT DIRECTIVE, A QUESTION FROM A
WORSHIPPER, OR A DECISION OF THE SENIOR IMAM. HOWEVER,
THE FACT OF A SEMINAR AND A REPORT OF ITS CONTENTS IS
RARELY PUBLICIZED. THE COMBINATION OF THE PROMINENCE OF
THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED AND THE PRESS PLAY GAVE THE

SEMINAR'S CONCLUSIONS THE FLAVOR, IF NOT THE LEGAL
STATUS, OF A FATWA, ACCORDING TO OUR SOURCE.

RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT REPRESENTED
--------------


4. (C) THE COMPOSITION OF THE SEMINAR'S INSTRUCTORS
WAS ARRESTING AS IT INCLUDED MAINLINE ESTABLISHMENT
FIGURES TOGETHER WITH A SHAYKH WHO, IN THE RECENT PAST,
CAME INTO CONFLICT WITH THE REGIME FOR OPENLY
CRITICIZING AL SAUD POLICIES. THE FOLLOWING ARE BRIEF
BIOS:

-- SHAYKH ABD AL-AZIZ BIN ABDULLAH AL AL-SHAYKH: THE
BLIND, ELDER STATESMAN OF THE AL AL-SHAYKH FAMILY, HE
SITS ON THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF ULAMA AND IS THE IMAM OF
THE RIYADH GRAND MOSQUE - THE VENUE OF THE SEMINAR.
SHAYKH ABD AL-AZIZ IS A STALWART SUPPORTER OF THE AL
SAUD, WHO ABSTAINED FROM ALL OF THE PETITION DRIVES OF
1991-92.

-- SHAYKH ABDULLAH BIN ABD AL-RAHMAN AL-JABRIYN: A
SIGNATOR TO BOTH THE "MEMORANDUM OF ADVICE" AND THE
"PEACE PROCESS" PETITIONS, AL-JABRIYN'S EARLY SUPPORT
FOR THE CDLR RESULTED IN HIS OUSTER FROM THE SUPREME
COUNCIL OF ULAMA. HOWEVER, FOLLOWING HIS HASTY
RENUNCIATION OF THE CDLR UNDER OFFICIAL PRESSURE, SHAYKH
AL-JABRIYN RETAINED HIS POSITION WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT
COMMITTEE FOR FATWAS AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. IN A
RECENT ISSUE OF THE SAUDI WEEKLY PUBLICATION
"AL-MUSLIMUUN," AL-JABRIYN AUTHORED THE "FATWA" PAGE,
DISPENSING ISLAMIC GUIDANCE IN RESPONSE TO READERS
LETTERS - A SPOT USUALLY RESERVED FOR FULL-FLEDGED
MEMBERS OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF ULAMA.

-- SHAYKH SALIH BIN ABD AL-AZIZ AL AL-SHAYKH: OUR
PRESUMPTION IS THAT SHAYKH SALIH, WHO IS A LECTURER ON
THE KORAN AT IMAM MUHAMMAD UNIVERSITY, IS THE SON OF
RIYADH GRAND MOSQUE IMAM SHAYKH ABD AL-AZIZ (ABOVE).


OBEY KING FAHD
--------------


5. (C) THE SHAYKHS DREW TWO CONCLUSIONS: (1) ANY
DIVISIONS WITHIN THE SUNNI COMMUNITY WAS TO THE
DETRIMENT OF THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY ("JAMAA'AT
AL-MUSLIMIIN"),OR MAJORITY OF MUSLIMS; AND (2) ALL
"PEOPLE OF THE MAJORITY" SHOULD FOLLOW THE LEADER (IMAM)
OF THE MUSLIMS. IN THE SAUDI CONTEXT, THE PHRASE
"LEADER OF THE MUSLIMS" REFERS UNAMBIGUOUSLY TO KING
FAHD. (IN FACT, IN MOSQUE SERMONS, A STANDARD FORMULA
FOR REFERRING TO SAUDI ARABIA'S TWO SENIOR-MOST LEADERS
IS "THE LEADER OF THE MUSLIMS AND THE CROWN PRINCE...")


6. (C) AL-JABRIYN'S CONDEMNATION OF ISLAMIC FACTIONS
(OR SCHISMS) SUCH AS THE JAMAA'AT AL-SUNNA, ANSAR
AL-SUNNA, AHL AL-TAWHID, AND JAMAA'AT AL-TABLIGH SPARKED
DIPLOMATIC SPECULATION THAT HERETOFORE UNKNOWN ISLAMIC
POLITICAL OPPOSITION GROUPS HAD EMERGED IN SAUDI ARABIA.
HOWEVER, STUDENTS OF ISLAMIC THOUGHT HAVE CLARIFIED THAT
THE ABOVE-NAMED GROUPS REPRESENT SCHOOLS OF ISLAMIC
THEOLOGY MAINLY ACTIVE OUTSIDE SAUDI ARABIA. THEY
CONSTITUTE STRANDS WITHIN THE BROADER SALIFIYYAH
MOVEMENT OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN USING ORIGINAL TEXTS
ONLY (THE KORAN AND THE SUNNA) IN INTERPRETING ISLAM.
THESE GROUPS ARE INACTIVE IN SAUDI ARABIA (THOUGH
DOUBTLESS ATTRACTING SOME SAUDI SYMPATHIZERS). BUT
LOCAL OBSERVERS READ INTO AL-JABRIYN'S COMMENTS THE
CONDEMNATION OF ANY OPPOSITION FORCE WHICH, WEARING THE
CLOAK OF ISLAMIC VIGILANCE, SEEKS TO DIVIDE THE MUSLIM
COMMUNITY.


7. (C) THE SHAYKHS' PAEAN TO THE IMAM, I.E., KING
FAHD, WAS REMARKABLE IN THE CONTEXT OF SHAYKH
AL-JABRIYN'S PARTICIPATION. THE SHAYKHS LECTURED THAT
ONLY IN THE INSTANCE OF A KING'S EMBRACE OF ATHEISM WAS
IT APPROPRIATE FOR MUSLIMS TO TURN ON THE LEADER OF
THEIR COMMUNITY. THE MAIN CHARACTERISTIC OF THE
"MAJORITY OF MUSLIMS," THEY ADDED, WAS THEIR OBEDIENCE
AND PATIENCE. ONE OF THE MANIFESTATIONS OF DIVISIVENESS
IS DISOBEDIENCE TO THE KING WHICH CAN RESULT IN GREAT
DAMAGE AND INTERNAL CRISIS WITHIN THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY.


COMMENT
--------------


8. (C) WE BELIEVE THE PRESS COVERAGE OF THE RIYADH
GRAND MOSQUE SEMINAR SERVED TWO PURPOSES: IT
HIGHLIGHTED SHAYKH AL-JABRIYN'S RETURN TO THE FOLD, AND
IT UNDERLINED THE SAUDI RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT'S
SUPPORT FOR STRONG MEASURES AGAINST ANY INDIVIDUAL,
SECULAR OR ISLAMIST, ATTEMPTING TO UNDERMINE THE
LEGITIMACY OF THE SAUDI STATE. THE LECTURE COMES IN THE
WAKE OF A GREAT DEAL OF PUBLICITY, LOCAL AND
INTERNATIONAL, PAID TO THE EXECUTION OF ABDULLAH
AL-HIDAIF, A SUPPORTER OF THE CDLR WHO, THOUGH CONVICTED
FOR MAIMING A POLICEMAN, WAS EXECUTED ON AUGUST 11 FOR
THE CRIME OF ATTEMPTING TO DIVIDE THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY.


9. (C) THE SEMINAR ALSO REFLECTS AN EFFORT TO MEET
ISLAMIST CRITICS ON THEIR OWN THEOLOGICAL GROUNDS IN A
SOCIETY IN WHICH POLITICS OFTEN TAKES ON THE COLORATION
OF THEOLOGICAL DEBATE. WHILE HARD-CORE CRITICS MAY
REMAIN UNPERSUADED, THE SEMINAR'S ORGANIZERS MAY HOPE
THAT RESTORING THE PATINA OF RELIGIOUS LEGITIMACY ON
RULE BY THE AL SAUD WILL INFLUENCE LESS COMMITTED
SKEPTICS AND THE PUBLIC AT LARGE. END COMMENT


KATTOUF