US embassy cable - 04MANAMA1695

UNCLAS MANAMA 001695 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/PPD; NEA/PI CBOURGEOIS, NEA/ARP 
ECA/A DAS TFARRELL, ECA/A/AEN SEDLINS AND MASTRANGELO, 
ECA/A/E/USS PETER BENDA 
ABU DHABI PLEASE PASS MEPI 
 
E.O. 12958 
TAGS: PREL, OIIP, OEXC, SCUL, KPAO, BA 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MANAMA'S RAMADAN ACTIVITIES SHOWCASE 
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY 
 
REF: STATE 219905 
 
1.  Embassy Manama's 2004 Ramadan activities follow: 
 
--  The Ambassador hosted a lively youth-oriented U.S. 
Elections Night "majlis" in his Residence on November 2. 
More than one hundred University of Bahrain students, NGO 
representatives, journalists, and government officials 
attended.  Eleven Mass Communications undergraduates who 
interned last summer in Chicago media outlets assisted 
the PAO with a mock balloting program that was a big hit 
with the guests.  (The internships in Chicago were 
supported by the FY 04 DePaul/University of Bahrain MEPI 
University Linkage.)  Post's participants in MEPI's Study 
of the U.S. Program for Undergraduate Student Leaders 
attended the event and gave Emboffs a readout on their 
experiences in the U.S. last summer.    Our featured 
majlis speaker was U.S. Fulbright Scholar Dr. Scott 
Waalkes, who explained how his native Ohio was critical 
in determining the outcome of the election, and responded 
to inquiries from students. 
 
--  The DCM hosted a ladies-only Ghabqa (late dinner) on 
October 24 in her Residence for Bahrain's female movers 
and shakers (and Shaikhas) who work in education, the 
media, business, NGOs, and the government.  The guests 
represented all segments of Bahraini society, from 
members of the royal family and Western-educated 
secularists to veiled public school teachers.  A large 
delegation from the Bahrain Businesswomen's Society 
arrived en masse, providing the DCM and Emboffs a perfect 
opportunity to engage at length on the benefits of the 
Free Trade Agreement in an informal Ramadan setting. 
Guests discussed recent proposals by some ultra- 
conservative Members of Parliament to transform the 
University of Bahrain, the only co-ed public university 
in the Gulf, into segregated male/female campuses. 
Perceived as a real set-back to women in Bahrain, this 
proposal was loudly and openly opposed by all of the 
guests. 
 
2.  The Ambassador and Emboffs have also attended nightly 
majlises and iftars hosted by Bahraini government 
officials, Members of Parliament, religious figures, 
academics, journalists, and businessmen.  Mrs. Monroe 
attended two ladies-only majlises hosted by the wife of 
the King and the Prime Minister's wife.  The DCM has 
attended iftars hosted by business and finance leaders. 
Post's four Fulbright grantees have been invited to 
Ramadan events hosted by their University of Bahrain 
colleagues. 
 
3.  The Public Affairs Section is distributing Eid 
greetings with Americana-style 2005 calendars to a wide 
cross section of Bahraini contacts. 
 
4.  The Embassy's Community Liaison Office organized a 
Ramadan tent evening on November 3 for American and FSN 
staff of all faiths to gather informally and demonstrate 
their respect for Islam. 
 
MONROE