US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI2382

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002382 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR DRL, NEA/PI, AND  NEA/ARP, AND NEA/PPD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, KWMN, TC 
SUBJECT: UAE 'S STANDVIEW ON DISCRIMINATION AGAINST 
WOMENUAE WOMAN SCHOLAR SPEAKS UP 
 
 
1. THE MFA'S EMIRATES INSTITUTE OF DIPLOMACY, HOSTED 
DR. FATEMA'S AL-SAYEGH, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AND 
CHAIRMAN OF THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT IN THE COLLEGE OF 
HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES AT UAE UNIVERSITY, FOR A 
SESSION , JULY 3-4, ON UAE HISTORY, CULTURE, TRADITION 
AND POLITICSAL SYSTEM, HELD FOR NEW DIPLOMATS TO THE 
UAE ON JULY 3-4.  ARRIVING IN THE COUNTRY. SHE STARTED 
HER SESSION BY SAYING THAT HER VIEWS "MY VIEWS "DO NOT 
NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE INSTITUTE'S,", AN 
INFREQUENTLY USED OPENING REMARK IN A SESSION THAT 
TURNED OUT TO BE FRANK AND REFRESHING.THE LATEST 
EDITION (JUNE 15) OF THE UAE WOMEN'S WEEKLY MAGAZINE 
"ALMARA'A ALYOUM" INTERVIEWS UAE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN 
AFFAIRS' DIRECTOR FOR LEGAL AFFAIRS, AHMAD AL-JARMAN, 
ON THE ISSUE OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN AND THE 
LIKELIHOOD THAT THE UAEG WILL SIGN THETHE JUNE 15 
EDITION OF THE UAE WEEKLY WOMEN'S MAGAZINE "ALMARA'A 
ALYOUM" REPORTS ON A UAE GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL'S VIEWS 
ABOUT THE CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF 
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN (CEDAW), ADOPTED IN 1979 
BY THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 
 
   AHMAD AL-JARMEN, THE UAE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
DIRECTOR OF LEGAL AFFAIRS, IS AMONG SEVERAL ARAB 
OFFICIALS INTERVIEWED FOR THE ARTICLE. AL- JARMEN SAID 
THAT THE UAE IS CONFRONTED WITH A NUMBER OF OBSTACLES 
WITH REGARD TO SIGNING CEDAW.  HE SAID THAT WOMEN 
ORGANIZATIONS DO NOT RAISE THE SUBJECT AND DO NOT WISH 
MFA TO DISCUSS IT EXCEPT WITH HIGHER AUTHORITIES DUE TO 
THE ISSUE'S SENSITIVITY.  HE ADDED THAT THE UN 
DEVELOPMENT OFFICE IN THE UAE WOULD NOT TALK ABOUT 
CEDAW UNTIL AFTER IT IS SIGNED2. AL-SAYEGH HAS WRITTEN 
SEVEN BOOKS ON THE UAE AND THE GULF AREA, AND 
FREQUENTLY WRITES OPINION ARTICLES FOR THE SHARJAH- 
BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ"..  SHE HAS TRAVELED TO 
THE U.S. ON A FULBRIGHT PROGRAM AND HAS DONE ACADEMIC 
STUDIES AND RESEARCH AT THE CENTER FOR MUSLIM/CHRISTIAN 
UNDERSTANDING AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY.  DURING HER 
SESSION, AL-SAYEGH TALKED ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF UAE 
CITIZENS, THE INFLUENCE AND POWER OF THE TRIBAL SYSTEM, 
THE UAE FEDERATION, ISLAM, LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION, 
WOMEN'S ISSUES, AND CULTURE AND TRADITIONS.. 
 
 2. THE UAE HAS DELAYED SIGNING THE CEDAW, AL-JAERMAN 
SAID, BECAUSE, LIKE OTHER ARAB ISLAMIC COUNTRIES, THE 
UAE HAS RESERVATIONS ABOUT CERTAIN CLAUSES IN CEDAW, 
SUCH AS EQUALITY BETWEEN THE TWO GENDERS IN INHERITANCE 
MATTERS, CHILD ADOPTION (WHICH IS PROHIBITED BY 
SHARI'A), AND TRANSMISSIONTTING OF CITIZENSHIP FROM A 
WOMAEN TO HER HUSBAND AND CHILDREN, WHICH CONTRADICTS 
NATURALIZATION LAWS IN MANY COUNTRIES.  AL- JARMAEN 
ADDED THAT ADJUSTMENTS WOULD BE NECESSARY WITHIN THE 
SOCIAL SECURITY, FAMILY LAWS, AND ISLAMIC SHARI'A 
REGULATIONS, IN ORDER FOR THERE TO BE AGREEMENT. 
 
3. AL SAYEGH, WHO IS FROM DUBAI, DESCRIBED THE UAE AS A 
"LOOSE FEDERATION" WITH EACH EMIRATE HAVING ITS OWN 
LAWS, ECONOMY AND FLAG (EXCEPT SHARJAH WHICH USES THE 
UAEUNION FLAG).  SHE CRITICIZED DUBAI FOR ITS LAX 
IMMIGRATION LAWS AND CALLED FOR A FEDERAL IMMIGRATION 
LAW.  DUBAI HAS DEVIATED FROM ITS CULTURE AND ROOTS, 
AND HAS BECOME "A SIN CITY LIKE BEIRUT BEFORE THE CIVIL 
WAR," SHE SAID.  SHE DISCUSSED THE PROBLEMS THAT DUBAI 
AND ABU DHABI FACED DURING THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF THE 
FEDERATION AND HOW DUBAI HAD THREATENED TO LEAVE THE 
FEDERATION.  ASKED WHETHER THE U.S. SIGNED CEDAW, AL- 
JERMAN SAID THAT THE U.S. HAD SIGNED BUT NOT RATIFIED 
IT, SO IT IS STILL NOT BINDING.  HE SAID THAT THE UAE 
CONSIDERS CEDAW VERY IMPORTANT AND  FUNDAMENTAL TO FOR 
HUMAN RIGHTS.  HE ADDED THAT THE UAE IS WITNESSING A 
MAJOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE ROLE OF WOMEN, AND NOTED THAT 
THE UAE, WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF THE UAE GENERAL WOMEN'S 
UNION, IS THE FOUNDER OF THE ARAB WOMAN ORGANIZATION IN 
EGYPT., THROUGH THE UAE GENERAL WOMEN'S UNION. 
 
 
 
4. AL-SAYEGH SPOKE ABOUT HOW EACH EMIRATE OBSERVES 
ISLAM AND HOW SHARJAH AND RAS AL KHAIMAH OBSERVE STRICT 
ISLAMIC REGULATIONS BECAUSE OF THEIR PAST RELATIONS 
WITH THE SAUDI WAHHABIS. SHE DISCUSSED POST-9/11 
OUTCOMES SUCH AS THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION'S REVISION 
OF ITS CURRICULUM WITH THE AIM OF ELIMINATING ANYTHING 
THAT ENCOURAGES INTOLERANCE AGAINST OTHER RELIGIONS. 
WHILE SPEAKING ABOUT RELIGION, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, 
AL-SAYEGH TRIED TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN WHAT IS 
CULTURAL AND WHAT IS ISLAMIC, AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT 
EACH. 
 
5.  AL-SAYEGH DESCRIBED SHEIKH ZAYED AS BEING THE 
STABILIZING FACTOR OF THE FEDERATION AND NOTED THAT 
LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION REMAINS A CONCERN. 
 
6. AL-SAYEGH SAID THAT UAE WOMEN ARE GRANTED EQUAL 
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS UNDER THE UAE 
CONSTITUTION, BUT THEY LACK POLITICAL RIGHTS.  THIS 
WILL START TO CHANGE IN THE FUTURE WHEN WOMEN BECOME 
MEMBERS OF THE FEDERAL NATIONAL COUNCIL, SHE SAID.  SHE 
ADDED THAT UAE WOMEN ARE VIEWED BY OUTSIDERS AS "BMO'S 
- BLACK MOVING OBJECTS", BUT IN REALITY THEY HAVE THE 
POWER WITHIN THE NUCLEAR FAMILY TO RAISE THE CHILDREN, 
AND DISCIPLINE THE HUSBAND. 
 
7. COMMENT: AL-SAYEGH, WHO SPEAKS AND WRITES ABOUT 
DEMOCRACY AND REFORM IN THE ARAB WORLD, IS ONE OF THE 
UAE WOMEN WITH THE HIGHEST PUBLIC PROFILE. SEVERAL 
OUTSPOKEN WOMEN IN THE UAE, WITH THE MAJORITY COMING 
FROM DUBAI. HER LECTURE WAS ONE INDICATION OF A SOCIETY 
MOVING TOWARD MORE FLEXIBILITY AND LESS CENSORSHIP OF 
SPEECH. HOWEVER, PRESS FREEDOM REMAINS SOMEWHAT 
RESTRICTED. THE THE THREE NEWSPAPERS THAT COVERED THE 
EVENT, ENGLISH DAILIES KHALEEJ TIMES AND GULF NEWS, AND 
ARABIC DAILY AL-BAYAN, EDITED OUT SEVERAL OF HER 
SHARPER COMMENTS, A COMMON PRACTICE IN THE UAE.APPEARED 
TO HAVE PRACTICED SELF-CENSORSHIP, WHICH IS COMMON IN 
THE UAE.  NONE OF THEM MENTIONED DUBAI AS A "SIN CITY" 
OR UAE WOMEN AS "BMO'S". 
  AL- JARMAEN SAID THAT CEDAW "THIS AGREEMENT "IS ONE 
OF THE MOST IMPORTANT HUMAN RIGHTS TOOLS, AND THE UAE 
COMPLETELY SUPPORTS IT.  THERE IS A STRONG CALL FROM 
OUR SIDE TO INCLUDE WOMEN IN THE PUBLIC, 
ADMINISTRATIVE, AND POLITICAL LIFE, AND THESE FACTORS 
CONTRIBUTE TO THE NECESSITY OF US BEING MEMBERS OF THIS 
AGREEMENT." 
 
5. AL-JARMAN SAID THAT THE UAE FACES A NUMBER OF 
OBSTACLES AS IT CONSIDERS WHETHER TO SIGN CEDAW.  HE 
SAID THAT WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS HAVE NOT YET RAISED THE 
SUBJECT WITH MFA, PREFERRING TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE WITH 
HIGHER AUTHORITIES BECAUSE OF THE ISSUE'S SENSITIVITY. 
ALBRIGHT