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Viewing cable 07DAMASCUS107, SYRIA: INFLUENTIAL WOMEN

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07DAMASCUS107 2007-02-01 14:38 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Damascus
VZCZCXRO5123
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHDM #0107 0321438
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 011438Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2900
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000107 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR S/WE SASHA MEHRA AND GERDA LANE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWMN PHUM PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: SYRIA:  INFLUENTIAL WOMEN 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 00202341 
 
     B. DAMASCUS 02066 
 
1.  (SBU) In response to reftel A requesting the names of the 
five most influential women in government and civil society, 
Post notes the difficult bilateral relations with the SARG 
and the regime's deep suspicion about USG intentions to use 
Syrian civil society for U.S. political purposes. 
Additionally, because the regime employs police-state tactics 
to control the Syrian population, most civil society groups 
operating here are linked in some way to the government. 
With that aside, we offer the requested mix of women in the 
event that they are useful for current or future contacts: 
 
-- First Lady Asma Al-Akras Al-Asad, who has taken an active 
role on promoting women's empowerment and development of 
rural areas through the establishment of the local NGO, 
FIRDOS; 
 
-- Buthayna Sha'aban, Minister of Expatriates, former SARG 
spokeswoman, and participant in past Syrian-Israeli peace 
negotiations; 
 
-- Sheikha Munira Qubasi, Syrian founder of a growing 
Sufi-influenced religious women's movement (reftel B); 
 
-- Popular Syrian actress Muna Wasif (also mother of exiled 
Syrian intellectual Ammar Abdulhamid); 
 
-- Hind Kabawat, who is a Syrian/Canadian civil society 
activist who focuses primarily on interfaith dialogue and 
people-to-people diplomacy. 
 
2.  (SBU) None of our contacts were able to come up with 
Syrian candidates who could be considered Oprah Winfrey-type 
media icons. 
CORBIN