US embassy cable - 05MANAMA428

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000428 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, PREL, KPAO, BA 
SUBJECT: ACTIVIST DISMISSED AS UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT CHAIR 
 
 
Classified By: DCM Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
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Summary 
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1.  (C) Dr. Abduljalil Singace, a board member of the Shi'a 
opposition Al Wifaq political society, was removed as chair 
of the mechanical engineering department at the 
government-run University of Bahrain March 15.  The 
university issued a statement saying that Singace was removed 
because he traveled overseas and missed lectures without 
permission and was not available for students and faculty as 
a department chair.  Singace, who acknowledges that he used 
several sick days to visit to the U.S. and UK on a campaign 
against the GOB in December 2004, claims the demotion was 
politically motivated.  Singace remains a lecturer at the 
university.  End Summary. 
 
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Unauthorized trip to U.S./UK creates controversy 
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2.  (SBU) In January 2005, the president of the 
government-run University of Bahrain, Dr. Sheikha Miriam Al 
Khalifa, formed a committee to investigate Singace for 
traveling abroad without permission and using sick leave for 
personal use on a December 2004 trip to the U.S. and UK. 
(Note:  The GOB requires all government officials, including 
university professors, to get authorization before going 
overseas if they will represent the GOB abroad or if they are 
traveling during official duty time.  End Note.)  On March 
15, the president of the university informed Singace that he 
would be removed as chair of the department of mechanical 
engineering, a position he had held since 2002.  The 
university announced his replacement on March 16. 
 
3.  (C) A board member of leading Shi'a opposition group Al 
Wifaq and a member of several civil society organizations, 
Singace acknowledges he did not seek permission from the 
university to travel to the U.S. and UK in December 2004.  He 
claims that he did not legally require the university's 
permission as he did not represent the university overseas 
and did not travel during official duty time.  During four 
days of his trip, however, he was on sick leave.  He told 
PolOff that he was not feeling well enough to work at the 
university, but his doctor recommended that he travel anyway. 
 During the trip, Singace met with a number of U.S. and 
British government officials and civil society organizations 
and spoke out against GOB policies and the royal family. 
 
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University defends its action 
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4.  (C) On March 20, the university's public relations 
department issued a lengthy statement documenting the 
step-by-step progression of the case.  It detailed Singace's 
unauthorized absences from class and from his duties as 
department chair and indicated the series of actions taken by 
the university.  The statement notes that Singace had been 
chair of the mechanical engineering department since 2002, 
and the university had kept him in the position when his term 
expired in 2004, pointing to this as proof that his removal 
was not politically motivated.  The statement accused Singace 
of acting as if he is above the university's regulations. 
 
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Singace claims university wanted to keep him quiet 
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5.  (C) Singace issued a counter statement to the press March 
20 rejecting the University's claims.  In the conversation 
with PolOff, he said the GOB had been looking for a way to 
keep him quiet.  Following his trip in December, the 
president of the university had summoned him and said that 
she was under severe pressure from above and could not 
tolerate his double status as activist and academic.  He said 
that Ministry of Interior officials had warned him about his 
involvement in political activities in Bahrain and abroad. 
Singace told PolOff he was considering legal action against 
the university. 
 
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Singace rejects human rights group's offer to help 
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6.  (C) The Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS), led 
by Shura Council member Faisal Fuladh, met with the Minister 
of Education and university officials March 17 to act as a 
mediator in Singace's case.  Two days later, Singace issued a 
statement saying that he rejected the involvement of the 
BHRWS.  Fuladh told PolOff he was shocked to hear this as 
Singace had asked his organization to get involved.  Fuladh 
suspected Singace was under pressure from other activists who 
do not trust Fuladh and his organization. 
 
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Comment 
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7.  (C) Singace is well known for his political views and is 
considered a hardliner even by many of his friends and fellow 
activists.  He is an especially tough critic of the royal 
family and seeks to gather support against the GOB overseas. 
While it is likely that Singace's demotion was politically 
motivated, it appears that the university broke the norm -- 
but not the rule -- in conducting an investigation and 
punishing Singace for his unapproved absence.  Numerous 
professors at the university are involved in the activities 
of Al Wifaq and human rights organizations, and the 
university has not generally interfered. 
 
MONROE