SANT EGIDIO CONFERENCE PROMOTES IRAQ, RELIGIOUS

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 004289 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/WE LEVIN; NEA/RA; NEA/IPA; DRL/IRF; EUR/RUS; AF/RSA; AF/W; OES/S/PDAS/IHA E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2013 TAGS: IZ PREL VT SUBJECT: SANT EGIDIO CONFERENCE PROMOTES IRAQ, RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE, CATHOLIC-ORTHODOX RECONCILIATION, MIDDLE EAST PEACE, AND HIV/AIDS TREATMENT REF: A. VATICAN 3971 ¶B. VATICAN 1508 (NOTAL) ¶C. VATICAN 1953 (NOTAL) ¶D. VATICAN 1137 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Brent Hardt for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d) -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (U) At Vatican-sanctioned NGO Sant'Egidio's annual conference on peace and interreligious dialogue September 7-9 in Aachen, Germany, religious and civic leaders from around the world discussed and debated global and regional issues in which religious groups are involved and could be part of a solution. In a spirited session on Iraq, an Iraqi Shiite theologian praised the US-led coalition for its defeat of Saddam and chided France and Germany for their pacifist views, while a Catholic bishop from Baghdad condemned the "dictatorship of chaos" he said had replaced Saddam's regime. The highest level meeting in years between Catholic and Russian Orthodox representatives generated modest hopes for a thaw in relations between those two churches that could contribute to European unity. A session on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict generated more heat than light, though it offered an occasion for Israelis and Palestinians to sit at the same dais. Sant'Egidio Community representatives highlighted the growing success of the community's AIDS treatment project in Africa. Sant'Egidio's ability to create and cultivate contacts from varied groups and bring friends and adversaries to the table to talk -- demonstrated throughout the conference -- makes it an important USG partner in conflict resolution and in promoting inter-religious understanding and tolerance. End summary. -------------- Conference Draws Religious, Civic Leaders -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The lay Catholic Sant'Egidio Community, best known for its role in brokering an end to the Mozambican civil war in 1992, is now active in over 60 countries, conducting widespread programs to aid the poor and elderly, combat HIV/AIDS, and promote inter-religious dialogue and conflict resolution. Since 1987, the Community has hosted yearly conferences of religious and other leaders aimed at promoting peace and interreligious dialogue in the spirit of Pope John Paul II's 1986 World Day of Prayer and Peace in Assisi, Italy. That event, which brought together world religious leaders to promote the resolution of conflicts, was organized in part by Sant'Egidio and represented a major step in interreligious dialogue, as well as a bold departure for the Pope, who was criticized at the time by many co-religionists for appearing to promote religious syncretism. Since then, Sant'Egidio has used the Pope's initiative as a mandate to continue religious dialogue for peace. ¶3. (U) Among the 500 participants from some 70 countries at this year's conference were Cardinal Roger Etchegary, the Pope's "trouble-shooting" Cardinal who was sent to see Saddam Hussein on the eve of the Iraq war, Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Kyrill, Chief Rabbi of Israel Meir Lau, and Turkish Minister of State Mehmet Aydin. In addition to key themes of Iraq, Middle East, Christian-Orthodox relations, and HIV/AIDS, the conference focused on the situation in Cote d'Ivoire, Muslim-Christian relations, and developments in Asia and Latin America. Prepared remarks for some sessions can be found on the Sant'Egidio website, www.santegidio.org. -------------- -------------- In Emotional Session on Iraq, Iraqi Shiite Praises Coalition -------------- -------------- ¶4. (U) Media and audience members jammed every nook of an upstairs conference room for a session on "Iraq within War and Peace." Iraqi Shiite Sayed Aiad Jamal Aldin shocked the decidedly pacifist crowd by insisting that there were far worse things than war -- like living under Saddam's brutal dictatorship. He thanked the coalition for all it had done for his people and had harsh words for "the Europeans," saying that if it had been up to them, the Iraqis would still be suffering under the previous regime. It was easy for France and Germany "to talk about peace," he said, but they didn't have to live under Saddam. Aldin said the US was in Iraq with the support of the Iraqi people and any resistance was not reflective of the will of the Iraqis. Jamal Aldin noted the need to make Iraqi borders more secure, saying that Iraqis were paying the price as "foreigners" were crossing the border in large numbers to destabilize the country. When asked about the current situation in Iraq, Jamal Aldin insisted that much of the damage one sees today had been inflicted on the country before the war under Saddam. He encouraged greater international cooperation in Iraq, and said Germany and France should help with reconstruction but "should not interfere with the government." -------------- Chaldean Bishop Laments Iraq Chaos -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Shlemon Warduni, a Chaldean Catholic Bishop in Baghdad, had a less sanguine view of the situation. Describing in emotional detail the devastation and loss of life that occurred during the war, he charged that Saddam's dictatorship had merely given way to a "dictatorship of chaos." Warduni detailed a lack of medical care in Iraq, security concerns, and, above all, what he described as a deep fear on the part of the people. "We cry, but no one hears us," the bishop said, adding that he was thankful to be in Aachen for a few days, if only to enjoy some respite from violence and to be able to fall asleep "without hearing gunfire." Warduni's comments were not a surprise to those aware of the Chaldean Church's pre-war criticism of U.S. policies and its close relationship with the previous regime. But his message struck a chord with the audience, who gave the bishop a warm ovation after his presentation. -------------- A Chance for Dialogue -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Though Jamal Aldin's and Warduni's words appeared to offer little common ground, Iraqi Sunnite leader Ahmed M. Mohammed, offered an opening for dialogue. He emphasized a general desire for coexistence and discussion, and noted the need for mutual trust between people of different faiths. Mohammed seemed anxious to turn the page on the war and on the years of dictatorship, and to focus on the necessity of many peoples "living together in Iraq." The session highlighted the range of perspectives existing among Iraqis about the war and its aftermath. Symbolically, at least, the conference brought these perspectives together when the two Muslims joined with Catholic Bishop Warduni to light the "peace candle" at the conference's closing ceremonies, creating a powerful image of reconciliation. -------------- Treating HIV/AIDS in Africa -------------- ¶7. (U) In a session on Africa, AF PDAS Charles Snyder outlined the scope and implications of the HIV/AIDS crisis, emphasizing the links between the HIV/AIDS epidemic and security, democracy, and poverty. Snyder also noted that HIV/AIDS could exacerbate societal ills such as prostitution, child trafficking and other scourges as more and more children are raised without parents. Armed conflict, he pointed out, also fuels the epidemic by contributing to the sexual abuse of women, destruction of a country's health infrastructure, and the exhaustion of funds that could otherwise be spent on health care. Snyder noted the USG's role as a leading contributor in the fight against AIDS, highlighting the President's new HIV/AIDS initiative, our contributions to the Global Fund, and a series of bilateral initiatives and assistance to affected countries encompassing education, prevention, and treatment. -------------- DREAM HIV/AIDS Treatment Program -------------- ¶8. (U) Sant'Egidio's leaders emphasized that its own HIV/AIDS program (DREAM - Drug Resource Enhancement against AIDS in Mozambique),demonstrated that, contrary to the naysayers, it is possible to treat AIDS in Africa, rather than rely solely on prevention programs (ref a,b,c). Relying on prevention, according to St. Egidio's Germano, "is effectively a death sentence" for those already infected. Instead, Sant'Egidio combines prevention initiatives with DREAM's free anti-retroviral program, currently treating some 2000 patients. "Why shouldn't Africans have access to the same quality AIDS treatment programs one finds in Western Europe," Germano asked. She said that Mozambicans had proven false assertions that Africans wouldn't have the tenacity, understanding or sense of time to effectively follow an anti-retroviral regimen. The next step, Germano said, was to expand the program to other countries, something Sant'Egidio has already begun in Angola, Guinea-Bissau, and Tanzania, and intends to explore with State and HHS officials and at Georgetown University. -------------- Thawing Russian Orthodox-Catholic Relations -------------- ¶9. (C) One of the most significant developments at the conference came on the margins with a two-hour breakfast meeting between Cardinal Walter Kasper, the Holy See's top man for ecumenical dialogue, and Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Kyrill, number two in the Russian Orthodox Church behind ailing Patriarch Alexi. The one-on-one session away from the public eye -- the highest level contact between the Holy See and the Orthodox Church -- appears to have eased previous personal tensions between the two leaders. Their public dialogue, however, traded traditional complaints, with Kyril accusing the Holy See of proselytizing while Kasper insisted that there was no "Vatican-sponsored movement" responsible for any post-communist draining of adherents from the Orthodox Churches. Both Kasper and Kyrill nevertheless made some positive public comments on relations and indicated that over the long term they expected relations to improve (ref d). ¶10. (C) Improvements in Orthodox-Catholic relations have broad implications, not just for Christian ecumenism, but for East-West relations in Europe. Reconciliation between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches would give added meaning and potential political significance to the Pope's continued emphasis in recent months on the common Christian roots of Europe. Closer ties between the Russian Orthodox church and the West would also have implications for relations between Christianity and the Muslim world. -------------- Israel-Palestinian Dialogue -------------- ¶11. (U) Oded Ben-Hur, the Ambassador of Israel to the Holy See, Fr. Elias Chacour, Director of the Prophet Elias College, Israel, and David Rosen, President of the American Jewish Committee, provided constructive give-and-take on the common desire for peace in a session on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Chacour, a Catholic priest active in regional inter-faith programs, criticized Israeli strategy in the conflict and the support of the religious right in the U.S., whose single-minded support of Israel, he claimed, was helping no one in the region. Unfortunately, some in the audience soured the atmosphere of the session by interrupting speakers and making provocative remarks. -------------- Comment: Sant Egidio a Valuable Partner -------------- ¶12. (C) Sant'Egidio has proven a valuable partner for the U.S. on a range of issues, encompassing conflict resolution in Mozambique, Liberia, Sudan, and the Great Lakes, to its current effort to treat AIDS in Africa. The group's focus, however, is not limited to Africa, as the Aachen conference demonstrated. Sant'Egidio's is effective in creating and cultivating high-level contacts from diverse and often antagonistic groups and then promoting political and religious dialogue. When it comes to conflict resolution, Sant' Egidio benefits from being able to engage rebel groups that governments need to approach with more caution. It works adeptly with those from different ethnic groups and religions and seems to gain their trust rapidly. "They know we have only one interest - peace," says Sant'Egidio Director of International Cooperation Claudio Betti. Of course, the group's informal approach and strategies may sometimes need supervision. AF PDAS Snyder notes that during the LIBERIA negotiations the USG had to contact Sant'Egidio once or twice to better coordinate their efforts with U.S. engagement. Likewise, in regard to Uganda, Snyder said, AF needed to look more closely at whom Sant' Egidio was talking to on the rebel side to see if such engagement would be helpful. With proper cooperation and communication, which Sant'Egidio welcomes and has pursued in recent meetings in the Department, we believe expanded linkages with the Sant'Egidio community can benefit U.S. efforts to resolve conflicts, combat HIV/AIDS, and promote religious tolerance. We note that on the heels of the Aachen conference, Sant'Egidio's Claudio Betti traveled to the U.S. September 16-19 (ref a) to review with State, HHS, and AID officials prospects for funding for the DREAM program, and its expansion, while also engaging various Department offices to discuss human rights, religious freedom, and Sant'Egidio's potential role in key conflict areas. ¶13. (U) Minimize considered. NICHOLSON NNNN 2003VATICA04289 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL