GAMBIAN MUSLIMS: MAJORITY IGNORE BIN LADEN

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000854 DAKAR PASS PRAIA LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS DEPT. FOR AF/W E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/11 TAGS: PTER PINR XA GA SUBJECT: GAMBIAN MUSLIMS: MAJORITY IGNORE BIN LADEN REFS: A) STATE 177569 B) BANJUL 00832 C) BANJUL 00829 CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE DAPHNE TITUS FOR REASONS 1.5(C) AND (D). ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: WITH A FEW NOTABLE EXCEPTIONS, GAMBIAN MUSLIMS (95% OF THE POPULATION) SUPPORT THE U.S. AND ARE UNLIKELY TO HEED THE CALL OF ANTI- AMERICAN ISLAMIC RADICALS. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (S) THE MEDIA: POST IS NOT AWARE OF ANY MEDIA OUTLETS WITH A RADICAL ISLAMIC EDITORIAL POLICY. THE STATE-OWNED GAMBIA RADIO AND TELEVISION SERVICE (GRTS) HAS ARABIC-LANGUAGE AND MUSLIM-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING, BUT THE CONTENT IS NEITHER RADICAL NOR ANTI-AMERICAN. ¶3. (S) ISLAMIC PREACHING/ TEACHING: AS POST REPORTED IN REFTEL B, A FEW MOSQUES HAVE HOSTED PAKISTANI AND SOUTH AFRICAN SPEAKERS, MARAKAS, WHO PREACHED ANTI-AMERICAN AND ANTI-WESTERN SERMONS AND PLEDGED TO BOMB THE EMBASSY IF THE U.S. TOOK MILITARY ACTION AGAINST AFGHANISTAN. THE MARAKAS WERE SEEN AT THE POLICE, BUNDUNG, AND GRAND MOSQUES. ¶4. (S) ISLAMIC PREACHING/TEACHING CONTINUED: AS POST ALSO REPORTED IN REFTEL B, THE GOTG'S STATE HOUSE IMAM, IMAM FATTY, WAS THE ONE WELL-KNOWN MUSLIM IN THE GAMBIA WHO SPOKE OUT PUBLICLY AGAINST THE US IN THE MONTH AFTER THE SEPT. 11 TRAGEDY. HE BLAMED US POLICY FOR THE ATTACKS. HIS COMMENTARY WAS IN DIRECT CONTRADICTION TO THAT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE GAMBIA, A DEVOUT MUSLIM WHO TOLD CDA AND POLOFF THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION IN ISLAM FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST THE U.S. (REFTEL C). A RIVAL IMAM TO IMAM FATTY, IMAM BABA LEIGH, LOST A NEPHEW IN THE TRAGEDY AND CONTINUES TO PREACH TOLERANCE AND ANTI-TERRORISM MESSAGES. ¶5. (S) POLITICAL PARTIES: POST IS NOT AWARE OF ANY POLITICAL PARTY IDENTIFIED WITH ISLAMIC RADICALISM IN THE GAMBIA. ¶6. (S) NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOS): THE ISLAMIC CALL SOCIETY (ICS) IS A LIBYAN-SPONSORED ORGANIZATION LOCATED ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE EMR. THE STATED PURPOSE OF THE ICS IS TO TEACH RADICAL RIGHT-WING ISLAM TO GAMBIANS. IT ALSO SENDS GAMBIANS FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN LIBYA. ¶7. (S) FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND PRIVATE COMPANIES: POST IS NOT AWARE OF ANY BANKS, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, OR PRIVATE COMPANIES KNOWN OR RUMORED TO HAVE TIES WITH RADICAL ISLAM. IN MEETINGS THAT WILL BE REPORTED SEPTEL, THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FINANCE AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE CENTRAL BANK OF THE GAMBIA REPORTED THAT THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY INDIVIDUALS OR ORGANIZATIONS WITH FINANCIAL ASSETS OR PROPERTY IN THE GAMBIA WHO ARE LINKED TO TERRORISTS. THEY ALSO PROMISED THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO AGGRESSIVELY INVESTIGATE ANY SUSPICIOUS TRANSACTIONS AND REPORT THEIR FINDINGS TO THE EMBASSY. ¶8. (S) SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDY ABROAD: ICS SENDS GAMBIAN YOUTHS TO LIBYA FOR TRAINING IN RELIGION, AS WELL AS SPECIAL OPERATIONS, COMMUNICATIONS, AND POSSIBLY WEAPONS. LESS RADICAL LOCAL YOUTHS WHO WANT TO STUDY DO SO AT LOCAL SCHOOLS AND MOSQUES. PROSPECTIVE IMAMS TRAIN UNDER THE CURRENT IMAM AT LOCAL SCHOOLS OR MOSQUES. ¶9. (S) FOREIGN ITINERANTS: POST DOES NOT HAVE ANY BIOGRAPHIC DATA ON THE PAKISTANI AND SOUTH AFRICAN INDIVIDUALS MENTIONED IN PARA 3 AND REFTEL B. HOWEVER, THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE RUMORED TO HAVE LEFT THE GAMBIA SHORTLY AFTER POST MENTIONED THEIR ACTIVITIES TO POLICE AND MILITARY AUTHORITIES. ¶10. (S) CONTACT INFORMATION AND RUMORS: ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS AGO SENEGALESE AUTHORITIES STOPPED A VESSEL ATTEMPTING TO BRING A LARGE VOLUME OF WEAPONS TO THE GAMBIA AND ABOUT 10 POSSIBLE MERCENARIES WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. AROUND THE SAME TIME, A VESSEL FROM IRAN RUMORED TO BE CARRYING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION DROPPED OFF TWO OR THREE CONTAINERS IN THE GAMBIA (CONTENTS UNKNOWN) AND DEPARTED FOR SYRIA. TITUS