US embassy cable - 99RIYADH2025

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