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INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1327
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1401
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 6352
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000263 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP; 
PARIS FOR ZEYA; LONDON FOR TSOU 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/29/2015 
TAGS: ECON KISL KWMN PREL SA SOCI
SUBJECT: JEDDAH JOURNAL 9:  MEDINA IMAM SUSPENDED, FASHION 
SHOW, NON-ISLAMIC SYMBOL, STOCKS CONTINUE TO CAPTIVATE 
SAUDIS, AND TROUBLING VOICES FROM SAUDI MEDIA 
 
REF: O5 JEDDAH 4994 
 
Classified By: Consul General Tatiana Gfoeller, for 
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
IMAM SUSPENDED FOR OPPOSING WOMEN'S RIGHTS? 
 
¶1.  (C)  Over the weekend rumors were circulating in Jeddah 
that the Imam of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, the second 
largest in Saudi Arabia after the Haram in Mecca, was 
suspended on Friday by an official decree.  The rumored 
reason for this suspension is that in his Friday sermon, he 
spoke disparagingly about women's rights and hailed the 
Shoura Council for refusing to discuss the issue of women 
driving. 
 
THREE GRACES FASHION SHOW 
 
¶2.  (C)   The Consul General recently attended a fashion show 
which casts a curious light on attitudes in Saudi Arabia. 
The models were non-professional Saudi and American women. 
The show started with a series of unveiled Saudi women 
wearing fashionable Saudi-designed clothes.  The demure Saudi 
models resembled the typical idea of a fashion model:  young, 
attractive, thin bordering on anorexic, and affecting a 
haughty demeanor which could be mistaken as dour.  They 
sauntered down the runway to the accompaniment of blaring 
Arab music.  The American women who followed presented a 
startling contrast.  The three Americans, all members of the 
resident American community, were well past middle age and 
could not, even by the most charitable person present, be 
described by any word connoting thinness.  Their march down 
the aisle was heralded by American music with a definite 
beat.  After the American trio reached the stage, they began 
to dance with a vigor that could be considered wanton in a 
nation which frowns on all forms of theatricals. 
Astonishingly, these unseemly American dancers were quickly 
joined on stage by the previously melancholy Arab models who 
were soon smiling and gyrating in time to the music.  Reform 
and self-expression may be slow in coming to Saudi Arabia, 
but it appears that many in Jeddah are only too ready to 
party. 
 
UN-ISLAMIC SYMBOLS APPEAR IN JEDDAH 
 
¶3.  (C) In an effort to extirpate pagan and un-Islamic ideas 
from the Kingdom, imams frequently preach against irreligious 
symbols and festivals.  Christmas and Valentine's Day receive 
more than their share of these denunciations, because of the 
commercial publicity surrounding them.  Nevertheless, as post 
has reported (reftel), occasional symbols of these 
"heretical" events creep into the Kingdom.  Recently, at a 
forum sponsored by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and 
Industry (JCCI), for small businessmen interested in the 
effects of WTO on the business environment, Pol/Econ Chief 
chanced to observe among the refreshments an elegant, 
heart-shaped cake covered in red frosting and decorated with 
delicate red roses and green leaves.  While this suggests 
that the JCCI and/or the caterer had no qualms about 
displaying the universally recognized symbol of a pagan 
festival, it may also have demonstrated the effectiveness of 
the religious prohibition, since this creation did not appear 
at table until late March.  Pol/Econ Chief did not have the 
time, nor it must be confessed, the stomach to determine if 
this symbol of pagan lust was freshly baked or the discounted 
remnant of a baker's unsuccessful attempt to cash in on the 
previous holiday. 
 
STOCK MARKET ECLIPSING ALL OTHER SUBJECTS FOR CONVERSATION 
 
¶4.  (C) Although the Saudi stock market has been experiencing 
oscillations that have put-off a portion of the population, 
it remains the prime topic of conversation, to the exclusion 
of almost all else.  At a recent dinner engagement, the CG 
was told by a woman that she was becoming tired of the stock 
market monopolizing all debate.  Whereas, the woman recalled, 
only a few months ago, dinner talk was filled with debate 
about the prospects for and direction of reform, women 
driving, and the new king, now she complained, all anyone 
talked about was the stock exchange and share prices. 
 
 
JEDDAH 00000263  002 OF 002 
 
 
STOCK EXCHANGE DOMINATES THE OFFICE, AS WELL 
 
¶5.  (C)  Pol/Econ Chief received similar evidence that the 
stock market craze has not been dimmed by the recent 
fluctuations experienced by the exchange.  He recently met 
with the senior staff of the Presidency of Meteorology and 
Environment in Jeddah, in the office of the Vice President. 
This official's office contained a wall with five television 
sets set in it.  The televisions were tuned to a variety of 
local and international cable stations.  Perhaps it was 
random, but the large-screen television in the center of the 
display was tuned to the stock quotations.  And it seemed 
that several of the officials present at the periphery of the 
discussion cast furtive glances at the screen every now and 
then. 
 
WEBSITE ACCUSES U.S. EMBASSY OF BRIBING JOURNALISTS 
 
¶6.  (C)  On March 28, the Arabic-language web-site Sahat 
contained an exchange that accused the U.S. Embassy of 
bribing journalists and planting stories in the media.  A 
very rough translation of the dialogue is: 
 
March 28 Abu Khawla: 
 
The U.S. Embassy and the agents in Saudi Arabia: 
Here I will put the latest flash news about the dangerous 
fact that some of our patriotic people have been paid by the 
Embassy.  I am referring to writers, journalists and some 
high caliber people.  Tomorrow is very soon (which refers 
that the truth will come out soon.) 
At present, there is a boiling debate running between one of 
the preachers and a writer concerning the issue of donations 
and gifts from the American Embassy. 
For whom, what role do they play and what kind of danger will 
harm us, present and future? 
 
Saqr Al Riyadh replied:  I don't believe it. 
 
Allwazaei added:  In some countries, like Egypt for instance, 
they leaked their news.  In our own country, not yet.  Why 
don't we start the exposure?  Let's start with 
editors-in-chief.  They are easily exposed. 
 
NEWSPAPER COMMENTARY BEMOANS HATE-FILLED SAUDI SOCIETY. 
 
¶7.  (C) In a commentary in the March 27 edition of the ARAB 
NEWS, titled "Why Is There So Much Hate Inside Us?" writer 
and teacher Abdullah Al-Mutairi bewails the hate and cruelty 
exhibited by Saudi society.  He relates stories of foreign 
residents, including Muslims, being harassed and beaten by 
Saudi youths.  Youths in his class confess that they derive 
pleasure from attacking foreigners and abusing animals.  He 
also recounts incidents in which adults denigrate and shun 
those from different regions or tribes.  He describes a 
teacher colleague who insisted "that a student lacking a 
tribal name is a man with no roots and hence of no 
importance."  He also tells of an imam who warned students 
after 9-11 not to deal with non-Muslims.  Al-Mutairi comments 
these "beliefs and thoughts toward 'others' which glorify us 
and our egos and degrade them and others.  Such a situation 
is fertile ground for the idea of hate and infertile ground 
for the idea of love."  Comment:  This distressing article 
accentuates that Saudi Arabian society continues to be 
xenophobic, intolerant, and violent and substantial 
educational and social reform must occur before this society 
will accept outsiders on a basis of equality.  End Comment. 
Gfoeller