Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03KUWAIT595
2003-02-18 09:36:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

EVALUATION: KUWAIT SHARED VALUES SPEAKER HEDIEH

Tags:  KPAO PREL KISL OPRC OIIP KU 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000595 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR R, IIP-TERRY SCOTT AND PATRICIA ATKISSON, NEA/PPD-
MACINNES AND DAVIES, NEA/ARP-KANESHIRO, INR/NESA, LONDON FOR
KHOURY, PARIS FOR O'FRIEL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO PREL KISL OPRC OIIP KU
SUBJECT: EVALUATION: KUWAIT SHARED VALUES SPEAKER HEDIEH
MIRAHMADI

REF: KUWAIT 05391

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000595

SIPDIS

STATE FOR R, IIP-TERRY SCOTT AND PATRICIA ATKISSON, NEA/PPD-
MACINNES AND DAVIES, NEA/ARP-KANESHIRO, INR/NESA, LONDON FOR
KHOURY, PARIS FOR O'FRIEL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO PREL KISL OPRC OIIP KU
SUBJECT: EVALUATION: KUWAIT SHARED VALUES SPEAKER HEDIEH
MIRAHMADI

REF: KUWAIT 05391


1. Summary: Dr. Hedieh Mirahmadi, Director of Public Affairs
for the Supreme Islamic Council of America and member of the
Council of American Muslim Understanding, visited Kuwait 14-
15 January in the context of the Department's Shared Values
campaign. In a series of presentations before audiences
that ranged from conservative Islamist charities to liberal
NGOs, Dr. Mirahmadi, a Sunni Muslim, addressed the issue of
Islam's international reputation as a religion of violence
and intolerance, and the responsibility of Muslims to
counter the extremist ideologies that give credence to this
perception. The audience reaction to Dr. Mirahmadi's polite
but straightforward presentations ranged from mannered
toleration (on the part of one Muslim charity) to angry
rhetorical outbursts in denunciation of US policy (on the
part of university students and faculty.) Given the
importance of her message and the tact with which she
delivers it, we plan to bring this speaker back to Kuwait in
the late spring for a more extensive program. Post
recommends Dr. Mirahmadi to any post wishing to program on
this sensitive subject. End Summary.


2. Dr. Hedieh Mirahmadi, Director of Public Affairs for the
Supreme Islamic Council of America and member of the Council
of American Muslim Understanding, visited Kuwait 14-15
January in the context of the Shared Values campaign. Dr.
Mirahmadi was a last minute substitute for the subjects of
the Shared Values video spots that we had managed to get
broadcast on Kuwait TV during Ramadan, and post was
accordingly disappointed when these locally-recognized
speakers were not able to travel to Kuwait as planned.
Added to our apprehension was the fact that Dr. Mirahmadi, a
Californian of Iranian extraction, does not speak Arabic and
was therefore limited in terms of the kinds of audiences she
could engage. In retrospect, however, we think Dr.
Mirahmadi's principal message (that extremist religious
violence threatens Islam's future) was of great utility in
the context of Kuwait's current internal debate on the

growing Islamist influence in the country's civil
institutions.


3. Programs with the leadership of the International Islamic
Charitable Organization (IIOC) and two women's Islamic
charities (including a program for thirty members of the
Islamic Care Society) broke new ground for PAS. These
meetings touched on the basic themes of tolerance and mutual
respect that underpin the shared values initiative, and the
audiences expressed deep interest in Muslim life in the US.
When our speaker attempted to engage the IIOC leadership on
a discussion of the issue of "jihad," however, they refused
to be drawn out, instead repeating that moderation is a good
thing and that there is "only one Islam." Our effort to
move the conversation into the crux of the matter--are
Muslim organizations like the IIOC willing to put
politically loaded religious terms like "jihad" and
"mushrakeen" into a modern context--clearly made them
uncomfortable, and reinforced our sense that our polite
reception was for diplomatic purposes only. This sense was
reinforced somewhat by a photo spray in their lobby that
showed dismembered Palestinian corpses, with the caption,
"Thus is Jewish hatred rendered."


4. Dr. Mirahmadi's presentation before Kuwait University's
Mass Communication Department, which includes a number of
liberally oriented, US-educated staff among its ranks, was
noteworthy for the highly charged political tone of the
interaction. The audience was clearly not interested in
hearing about Muslim life in America, and instead focused on
a litany of accusations that US policy was biased against
Muslims. One student proclaimed, to general approbation,
that there was no proof Muslims carried out the September 11
attacks, and that US actions in Afghanistan effectively
constituted a "Crusade." The department faculty joined in
with a heated attack of the Shared Values program, warning
that Arabs would not be fooled by such egregious
propagandizing while martyrs are falling in Palestine.
(Reftel addresses the issue of Kuwaiti reaction to the
Shared Values campaign.)


5. Dr. Mirahmadi responded well to these charges,
effectively refusing to accept self-victimization and
captious argumentation as excuses for extremist violence.
To the charge that there was no proof Muslims were behind
the September 11 attacks, she replied that the hijackers
themselves made videotapes claiming responsibility for the
attacks and declaring that they had done so in the name of
Islam, and asked her interlocutor if he really believed what
he was saying. Regarding the US "crusade" in Afghanistan,
she reminded her audience that Afghans themselves were happy
to see the Taliban go, and asked why anyone saw a reason to
contradict them. When one angry student accused the US of
discriminating against Muslims by adopting new visa
requirements, Dr. Mirahmadi said that if Arab states apply
harsh and onerous control mechanisms to other Arabs, why
would anyone fault the US for tightening up a very lax
immigration system after thousands of its citizens were
killed?


6. Dr. Mirahmadi's visit received wide coverage in Kuwait's
major Arabic-language dailies and major English-language
daily. She was interviewed live on KTV's "Good Morning
Kuwait." Reportage was positive, focusing on themes of
moderate Islam and the freedom and tolerance accorded
Muslims in the U.S. Sample headlines include:

"`Immigration laws old. enforced after 9/11'"

"There is Definitely a Future for Islam in America"

"`Muslims sometimes disagree amongst themselves and are
intolerant of each other'"

"Dr. Mirahmadi: `It is very sad that terrorism is the
introduction so many have to our religion'"

"`We have to portray the true image of Islam as a model for
tolerance and forgiveness'"
> >

7. Program Evaluation: Post greatly appreciates the work of
IIP in bringing Dr. Mirahamdi to Kuwait. IIP/G/NEA-SA
Terrence Scott and IIP/T/SV Patricia Attkisson (who came to
Kuwait with this speaker) provided superb guidance and
support on this program. > Dr. Mirahmadi's credibility as a
US Muslim leader, her personable manner and > professional
background (a former corporate litigator who doesn't fluster
easily) were ideally suited to the issue at hand. We look
forward to bringing her back to Kuwait during the May/June
timeframe.

JONES>
>