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Viewing cable 09DHAHRAN246, SAUDI AUTHORITIES CRACK DOWN ON SHIA IN AL-AHSA

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09DHAHRAN246 2009-09-16 13:30 2011-08-30 01:44 CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN Consulate Dhahran
Appears in these articles:
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/06/22/116306/wikileaks-saudi-crackdown-on-shiites.html
VZCZCXRO7026
PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHDH #0246/01 2591330
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 161330Z SEP 09
FM AMCONSUL DHAHRAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0283
INFO RUEHZM/GCC C COLLECTIVE
RUEHDH/AMCONSUL DHAHRAN 0372
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DHAHRAN 000246 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/ARP JOSHUA HARRIS AND JEREMY BERNDT 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  9/16/2019 
TAGS: KIRF KISL PGOV PHUM SA
SUBJECT: SAUDI AUTHORITIES CRACK DOWN ON SHIA IN AL-AHSA 
 
REF: A. A. 09 DHAHRAN 210 
     B. B. 09 DHAHRAN 217 
     C. C. 09 DHAHRAN 8 
 
DHAHRAN 00000246  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Kevin Kreutner, Acting Consul General, EXEC, DOS. 
 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
SUMMARY 
 
------- 
 
1. (C) Saudi authorities have stepped up discriminatory actions 
against Shia citizens in the Eastern Province (EP) oasis of 
al-Ahsa over the past year.  Contacts point to the governor of 
al-Ahsa, HH Prince Badr bin Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Saud, as 
the main force behind the most recent uptick in sectarian 
arrests and mosque closings.  However, they have also noted that 
these actions are likely sanctioned by the EP Governor, Prince 
Mohammed bin Fahd Al Saud, and the Interior Minister, Prince 
Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.  Several contacts have said that 
the discrimination in al-Ahsa is alienating the Shia community, 
particularly the youth, and is compromising their sense of Saudi 
"national identity."  END SUMMARY. 
 
SECTARIAN ARRESTS CONTINUE IN AL-AHSA 
 
------------------------------------- 
 
2. (C/NF) During an August 17 visit to al-Ahsa, an oasis home to 
one million residents (more than half of which are estimated to 
be Shia), PolOff met with two prominent businessmen and Shia 
political activists: XXXXXXXXXXXX and XXXXXXXXXXXX. 
 The former was recently elected to the XXXXXXXXXXXX, and both contacts participated in a USG-sponsored 
visit of American civil institutions XXXXXXXXXXXX. 

 
3. (C/NF) XXXXXXXXXXXX provided PolOff with a list of 42 Shia 
individuals who have been arrested over the past year in 
al-Ahsa.  The list included their age, length and dates of 
detention, and reason for the arrest.  In most cases, these 
individuals were arrested for their "participation in religious 
celebrations" and for hosting Shia religious gatherings.  In 
many cases, they were arrested this summer, although the alleged 
offenses occurred in January 2009 at Ashura religious 
processions.  Our contacts were unsure why the authorities 
waited so long to make these arrests.  XXXXXXXXXXXX noted that 
virtually all of those arrested were freed after detentions of 
about one or two weeks, adding that some of the people on the 
list provided to PolOff had asked that their names not be 
publicly reported for fear of further reprisals from the 
authorities or extremist Sunni citizens.  [NOTE: Last month, the 
religious celebration of the birth of Imam al-Mahdi in al-Ahsa 
was also broken up by Saudi security forces (ref A).  END NOTE] 
 
CLOSING SHIA MOSQUES 
 
-------------------- 
 
4. (C/NF) Many of the myriad towns that comprise the greater 
al-Ahsa oasis are either entirely Sunni or entirely Shia.  XXXXXXXXXXXX said that in Sunni areas there are "forests of [Sunni] mosques" and even in entirely Shia areas there is at least one Sunni 
mosque.  Sunni mosques are generally funded and operated by the 
Ministry of Endowments (Wizarat al-Awqaaf), and the approval 
process to build these mosques is straightforward.  Sadek joked 
that if "just one Sunni complains" that he must travel too far 
to attend mosque the government will approve and fund a new 
mosque "tomorrow." 
 
5. (C) According to several contacts, building a Shia mosque in 
al-Ahsa is very challenging.  In 1998, the Saudi authorities 
announced new licensing requirements for Shia mosques in al-Ahsa 
and have since closed approximately 20 mosques.  Many of these 
mosques were in operation for more than a decade before being 
closed.  The authorities often used tactics similar to what is 
currently being done in al-Khobar to force the closures (for 
more on al-Khobar mosque closings see ref B), including cutting 
off electricity to the mosques and threatening the arrest of the 
property owner. 
 
6. (C/NF) XXXXXXXXXXXX described the licensing process as inconsistent and difficult to navigate.  For example, the designs and 
building plan for the Imam al-Reda mosque received the necessary 
approvals from the Ministry of Endowments and municipal 
authorities.  However, after the construction of the building 
was more than half completed, the governor of al-Ahsa, HH Prince 
Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud, halted progress citing the building's 
violation of height restrictions.  XXXXXXXXXXXX told 
PolOff that his family recently constructed a mosque of a 
similar height in a different part of al-Ahsa, which received 
the same approvals.  In their view, the arbitrary restrictions 
on mosques imposed by the Saudi authorities (height, size, 
proximity to other Shia mosques) are simply sectarian-based 
harassment and discrimination of the Shia.  (NOTE: XXXXXXXXXXXX took PolOff on a tour of several Shia mosques in al-Ahsa, including 
the partially constructed Imam al-Reda mosque, whose 
construction was stopped for approximately two years.  END NOTE) 
 
PRINCE BADR, THE GOVERNOR OF AL-AHSA 
 
------------------------------------  
 
7. (C/NF) Several human rights activists in the EP have cited 
Prince Badr as the source of the sectarian crackdown in al-Ahsa. 
 XXXXXXXXXXXX said that the Prince's discrimination against the Shia is "systemic and intentional."  XXXXXXXXXXXX who met Prince Badr on several occasions when obtaining approvals for the construction 
of his family's mosque, believes that the prince is an "all 
around bad governor" surrounded by "sectarian advisors."  Other 
contacts in the EP have echoed these sentiments. XXXXXXXXXXXX (strictly protect), a self-proclaimed human rights 
activist originally from al-Ahsa, believes Badr is "extreme" in 
his discrimination.  "All of this discrimination nonsense is new 
[in al-Ahsa]."  He recalled as a child that his neighborhood was 
mixed Shia-Sunni and he was breast-fed by a Shia woman (Ibrahim 
is from a Sunni family), which he believes is "impossible" 
today.  XXXXXXXXXXXX (strictly protect), the XXXXXXXXXXXX, warned that Prince Badr is "playing with 
fire" by harassing al-Ahsa's Shia residents. 
 
8. (C/NF) During an initial courtesy call visit to Prince Badr 
(strictly protect) in March 2009, when sectarian tensions were 
nearing their peak, Badr told the Consul General that Shia-Sunni 
relations were "cordial" in al-Ahsa and that there were "no 
problems" between the "brothers."  He said that the foreign 
media "exaggerates" sectarian problems, but acknowledged that 
diversity can be a "double-edged sword."  He also noted that his 
primary concern has always been security.  King Abdullah 
recently extended Prince Badr's term as the governor of al-Ahsa 
for an additional four years.  Prince Badr has served as 
governor of al-Ahsa since 1997, just before the Shia mosques in 
al-Ahsa were targeted for closure in 1998. 
 
PRINCE BADR HAS SUPPORT FROM THE 
 
INTERIOR MINISTER AND EP GOVERNOR 
 
--------------------------------- 
 
9. (C) Many of the same contacts who accuse Prince Badr of 
discrimination in al-Ahsa also view the Eastern Province 
Governor HRH Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Al Saud and his uncle the 
Interior Minister HRH Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as 
responsible for the problem.  Some believe these two powerful 
princes tacitly support discriminatory practices in al-Ahsa and 
elsewhere in the EP.  Others have even accused the princes of 
ordering local authorities, such as Prince Badr, to implement 
discriminatory policies themselves.  In any case, as most of our 
contacts readily point out, neither of the princes have stepped 
in to end the discrimination. 
 
DISCRIMINATION FOCUSED ON THE YOUTH 
 
----------------------------------- 
 
10. (C/NF) When asked how the Shia community is reacting to the 
most recent crackdown, XXXXXXXXXXXX replied that "the discrimination gap is bigger than ever."  He was especially worried about the youth, noting that they "don't have a voice that is listened to" 
and are losing their sense of a "national identity."  The vast 
majority of those recently arrested in al-Ahsa were under the 
age of 30.  He also noted that the sectarian clashes that took 
place in Medina (ref C) largely involved young men from al-Ahsa. 
 These views echo similar concerns across the Shia community 
that the youth are increasingly frustrated with the status quo. 
 
 
COMMENT 
 
------- 
 
11. (C) King Abdullah's recent extension of Prince Badr as 
governor of al-Ahsa has irked many Shia and human rights 
activists in the EP who view him as the primary antagonist and 
barrier to improved sectarian relations.  It has also lowered 
their expectations for positive results from the King's widely 
publicized interfaith and national dialogues.  END COMMENT. 
KREUTNER