RESPONSE OF ZIMBABWEAN MUSLIM/ISLAMIC POLITICAL

UNCLAS HARARE 003009 SIPDIS DEPT FOR TASK FORCE 1 - PD, INFO AF/PD (COX, ROBERTSON, SANDERS) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO OPRC ZI SUBJECT: RESPONSE OF ZIMBABWEAN MUSLIM/ISLAMIC POLITICAL LEADERS REF: STATE 175484 ¶1. ZIMBABWEAN MUSLIM/ISLAMIC LEADERS HAVE NOT OFFERED PUBLIC COMMENTS ON EVENTS IN AFGHANISTAN. ¶2. MUSLIMS IN ZIMBABWE ARE PRIMARILY WELL EDUCATED AND INFORMED MERCHANTS AND PROFESSIONALS, PEOPLE NOT EASILY SWAYED BY EMOTIONAL RHETORIC. THE COMMUNITY'S RELIGIOUS LEADERS GENERALLY REFLECT THE SOPHISTICATION OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS. ONE INFLUENTIAL MEMBER OF ZIMBABWE'S SMALL ISLAMIC COMMUNITY TOLD PAO THAT MUSLIMS HERE WERE "HEARTBROKEN" ABOUT THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS AND DO NOT IDENTIFY WITH BIN LADEN OR THE TALIBAN'S RADICALLY FUNDAMENTAL INTERPRETATION OF ISLAM. THE CONTACT SAID THAT WHILE ZIMBABWEAN MUSLIMS MAY HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT THE U.S. MILITARY ACTIONS AGAINST THE TALIBAN, THEY ARE MORE BROADLY REFLECTIVE OF ZIMBABWEAN, RATHER THAN MUSLIM, MISGIVINGS ABOUT THE WISDOM OF MILITARY ACTION AGAINST A TARGET AS ELUSIVE AS BIN LADEN AND HIS TALIBAN SUPPORTERS. SULLIVAN UNCLASSIFIED >