US embassy cable - 04KUWAIT3876

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 003876 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2014 
TAGS: KISL, PHUM, PREL, PGOV, SOCI, KU 
SUBJECT: ISLAMISTS WIN ANOTHER BATTLE:  RAMADAN TV SPECIAL 
BANNED BY MINISTER OF INFORMATION 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 1701 
     B. 03 KUWAIT 4503 
 
Classified By: DCM Matthew H. Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) Summary and Comment:  The recently banned Ramadan 
television special 'Donia Al-Quwy' has become a nationwide 
hit for the very reasons it is not being aired by local 
stations: its focus on taboo societal issues.  While the ban 
reflects the growing influence of Kuwaiti Islamists in this 
conservative Gulf society, the popularity of the show 
highlights the country's struggle between its Islamic 
identity and modern ambitions.  End Summary and Comment. 
 
2.  (U) Kuwait, a country in which women can drive, stroll 
unveiled and write columns critical of the government, prides 
itself on its openness in comparison to its Gulf neighbors. 
Yet, Kuwaitis hoping to catch a glimpse of the top-rated 
Ramadan TV special this year better have satellite 
television.  'Donia Al-Quwy' (which translates roughly as 
"The World of the Strong"), a program which was written, 
filmed and produced in Kuwait, was picked up by other Gulf 
television stations but is not being broadcast in Kuwait. 
 
Ramadan Special Airs Kuwait's Dirty Laundry 
------------------------------------------- 
 
3. (SBU) Information Minister Mohammed Abulhasan, under fire 
from Kuwaiti Islamists for most of his term, deemed the show 
inappropriate for Kuwaiti audiences and prohibited local 
Kuwaiti stations from buying its broadcast rights.  The 
reasons?  The show portrays mixed-gender parties; forced, 
arranged marriages; adultery and other so-called taboo acts 
that the GOK and many Kuwaitis insist do not occur in this 
traditional muslim society. 
 
4. (C) This hasn't stopped Kuwaiti audiences from tuning in 
to satellite channels on a nightly basis to catch the latest 
episode.  In fact, an informal survey of Pol contacts and 
FSN's reveals that the show is by far the most popular of the 
annual Ramadan TV specials, in large part because it 
addresses issues currently being grappled with in Kuwaiti 
society.  (Note: Poloff has attended numerous mixed-gender 
parties in Kuwait; additionally, forced arranged marriages 
are prevalent and the practice of adultery by both sexes is 
widely believed to occur and is sometimes reported by the 
press.  End Note.) 
 
Tradition Vs. Modernization at Home and on TV 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
5. (C) The cultural conflict over 'Donia al-Quwy' reveals the 
sometimes contradictory nature of Kuwaiti society.  Poloff 
recently attended an Iftar (or futoor, in local dialect) meal 
to break the fast at the home of a middle class Kuwaiti 
family, where the show was discussed.  A woman in full hijab, 
who frequently argues for increased women's rights, noted she 
agreed with the Information Minister's decision to ban the 
show, but admitted she had seen it.  Her brother, a 
westernized Kuwaiti educated in Indiana, said he disagreed 
with the decision, but added that, "of course, these things 
don't actually happen in Kuwait." 
 
6. (SBU) The banning of the show is the latest in a long 
string of successes that Islamist societal elements have had 
in curbing cultural influences they deem harmful or out of 
line with the teachings of Islam.  In October, threats and 
protests from Islamist MP's forced the cancellation of 
Kuwaiti auditions for the Lebanese-produced hit Arab 
television show, 'Star Academy.'  These threats followed 
October 2003 and May demonstrations against a concert by 
'Star Academy' participants (reftels) and frequent Islamist 
denunciations of the show as, in the words of Islamist MP 
Waleed Tabatabaie, "aiming to destroy young people."  In 
addition, Kuwait National Cinema Company (KNCC) was obliged 
to close its theatres for the last ten days of Ramadan this 
year, supposedly to allow Kuwaitis to reflect on their faith. 
 Local dailies have since reported that the sale of pirated 
DVDs has doubled since the closures.  Finally, responding to 
pressure from the government and reportedly some Islamists, 
the producer of a social comedy play in November changed its 
title from "Kuwaiti in Fallujah" to "Love in Fallujah." 
Several Kuwaiti Islamist activists have in recent months 
traveled to Fallujah and taken part in fighting against U.S. 
and coalition forces. 
 
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LeBaron