"PRETTY IN PINK" - FAIZAH RAFSANJANI

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 002025

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/05
TAGS: PINR PREL SOCI IR SA
SUBJECT: "PRETTY IN PINK" - FAIZAH RAFSANJANI

(U) CLASSIFIED BY A/DCM JOHN MORAN FOR REASON 1.5 (B) AND (D)


1. (U) FAIZAH RAFSANJANI, DAUGHTER OF FORMER IRANIAN PRESIDENT

HASHEMI RAFSANJANI, VISITED SAUDI ARABIA JUNE 13-14 IN HER
OFFICIAL ROLE AS DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF IRAN'S NATIONAL OLYMPIC
COMMITTEE AND CALLED FOR COOPERATION AMONG SAUDI AND IRANIAN
WOMEN IN VARIOUS FIELDS. SHE PAID A FORMAL CALL ON FOREIGN
MINISTER SAUD AL-FAISAL AND HAD A WORKING VISIT WITH SULTAN BIN
FAHD, VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL PRESIDENCY OF YOUTH WELFARE,
AN ORGANIZATION THAT OVERSEES ALL SPORTS PROGRAMS, CULTURAL
CLUBS, WRITERS SOCIETIES, AND A PANOPLY OF LITERARY AND ARTS
MAGAZINES. SHE ALSO VISITED KING SAUD UNIVERSITY, KING ABDULAZIZ
LIBRARY, AND THE PRINCE SALMAN SOCIAL CENTER.


2. (C) AT A PRIVATE RIYADH DINNER ON JUNE 13 THROWN BY THE WIFE
OF CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH, HUSSA AL-SHA'ALAAN, MS. RAFSANJANI
SPENT 30 MINUTES TALKING TO THE HOSTESS INCOGNITO, DUE TO THE
FACT THAT HER CHANGED ATTIRE MADE HER UNRECOGNIZABLE. EMBOFF AND
OTHER WOMEN ATTENDING THE SOIREE DID NOT RECOGNIZE MS. RAFSANJANI,
WHO APPEARED IN A SPORTY PANTS SUIT A LA MELROSE PLACE AND SHORT
HAIRCUT, AS THE SAME PERSON WHO WAS SHOWN THAT DAY ON SAUDI TV
NEWS, COMPLETELY SWATHED IN BLACK, CONFERRING FORMALLY WITH SAUDI OFFIC
IALS.


3. (U) COMMENT: ONE OF THE VERY FEW FEMALE EMISSARIES IN THE
ISLAMIC/ARAB WORLD, MS. RAFSANJANI VISITED SAUDI ARABIA IN 1992,
AND ACCOMPANIED HER FATHER ON HIS MARCH 1998 TRIP, WHICH INCLUDED
PERFORMING UMRA AT MECCA. WELL RESPECTED AS A MEMBER OF THE
IRANIAN SHURA COUNCIL (TEHRAN) AND EDITOR OF "WOMAN" MAGAZINE,
SHE IS GUARANTEED ACCESS AND CIRCULATION IN GULF DIPLOMATIC AND
POLITICAL CIRCLES WITH HER NEW OLYMPIC PORTFOLIO. GIVEN THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE SAUDI PRESIDENCY OF YOUTH WELFARE AS A QUASI-
MINISTRY AND THE IMPORTANT ROLE THAT SPORTS PLAY--ESPECIALLY
SOCCER--AS A SANCTIONED ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIAL "STEAM VALVE,"
MS. RAFSANJANI'S JUNE 17 REMARKS IN "AL-SHARQ AL-AWSAT" NEWSPAPER
CALLING FOR WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND
IMPROVING THE IMAGE OF THE MUSLIM WOMAN IN THE WEST SHOULD BE
VIEWED AS CARRYING THE IMPRIMATUR OF BOTH THE IRANIAN AND SAUDI
GOVERNMENTS. HER VISITS TO SAUDI ARABIA MAY INCREASE IN THE
BACKDRAFT OF THE RECENT VISITS OF IRANIAN PRESIDENT KHATAMI AND
SAUDI DEFMIN SULTAN. NOTE: MS. RAFSANJANI WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE "WOMEN'S SPORTS SOLIDARITY COUNCIL,"
WHICH INCLUDES 40 ISLAMIC COUNTRIES.


FOWLER