SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: EXCLUSIVE WITH UAE MINISTER OF

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003252 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC SECDEF FOR OASD/PA USCINCCENT FOR POLAD LONDON FOR GOLDRICH; PARIS FOR ZEYA LONDON ALSO PASS TO MOC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: EXCLUSIVE WITH UAE MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND ISLAMIC AFFAIRS ¶1. SUMMARY: ARABIC DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD" CARRIED A TWO-PAGE EXCLUSIVE WITH THE UAE MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND ISLAMIC AFFAIRS I WHICH HE COVERS A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES INCLUDING FRIDAY SERMONS AND ERRONEOUS UNDERSTANDINGS BY MUSLIMS. HE ASSERTED THAT THE MINISTRY IS CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED TO PROMOTE THE REAL MEANING OF MODERATE ISLAM. THE MINISTER ALSO DENIED THAT FRIDAY SERMONS ONLY ADDRESS BLAND SUBJECTS, NOTING THAT THE SERMONS DISCUSS ALL ISSUES OF INTEREST TO THE COMMUNITY. END SUMMARY ¶2. ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-OFFICIAL ARABIC DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD" 9/18 CARRIED A TWO-PAGE EXCLUSIVE WITH THE UAE MINISTER OF JUSTICE AN ISLAMIC AFFAIRS, MUHAMMAD BIN NAKHIRA AL-DHAHERI. DURING THE INTERVIEW, THE MINISTER TACKLED ISSUES SUCH AS FRIDAY SERMONS, SCHOOL CURRICULA AND RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS' TEXT BOOKS AND THE MANY MISINTERPRETATIONS OF KORANIC VERSES AND HADITH (PROPHET MOHAMMED'S SPEECHES). OTHER ISSUES REVIEWED IN THE INTERVIEW DEALT WITH THE FNC (FEDERAL NATIONAL COUNCIL) DELIBERATIONS ON THE ROLE OF VARIOUS MINISTRIES, THE TIGHT BUDGET OF THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AND ISLAMIC AFFAIRS, AND THE CURRENT LOW CRIME RATE I THE UAE. ¶3. IN HIS RESPONSE TO THE FIRST QUESTION REGARDING FRIDAY SERMONS THAT ONLY DEAL WITH ROUTINE MATTERS AND DO NOT SERVE ANY MORAL PURPOSE, MINISTER AL-DHAHERI SAID: "WE'RE AWARE OF THIS. ALTHOUGH THE UAE IS AN OASIS OF STABILITY AND SECURITY, OVERSTEPPING AND ENCROACHMENTS OCCUR BY IMAMS AND PREACHERS. WE HAVE MANY NATIONALITIES THAT LIVE HERE, BUT WE AT THE MINISTRY KNOW EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON AROUND US. OUR MAIN MISSION IS TO EDUCATE EVERYONE, UAE NATIONALS AND OTHERS WHO LIVE HERE, IN A MODERATE RELIGIOUS INTERPRETATION. IF WE GO THROUGH THE TOPICS O LAST YEARS SERMONS YOU FIND THAT WE DISCUSSED ISSUES SUCH AS TERRORISM AND THE STANCE OF ISLAM. HOWEVER, WE CANNOT DISCUSS TERRORISM EVERY WEEK, WE HAVE OTHER ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO TACKL SUCH AS DRUGS, RELIGIOUS CELEBRATIONS, RAMADAN, ETC. AS FOR ENLIGHTENING THE PEOPLE, WE HAVE A PLAN WHERE WE BRING WELL-KNOW MUSLIM FIGURES FROM ALL THE ISLAMIC NATIONS TO CONDUCT WORKSHOPS AND LECTURES WHERE THEY DISCUSS CERTAIN ISSUES. THIS YEAR WE HAVE PLANNED A HIGH-LEVEL ISLAMIC CONFERENCE WHERE LECTURERS WOULD BE INVITED TO SHED LIGHT ON MANY TOPICS OF INTEREST TO OUR MINISTRY.. WE COVER ALL ISSUES INCLUDING THE GENERAL ONES SUCH A TERRORISM, VIOLENCE, MISINTERPRETATION OF ISLAM AND THE ISSUANCE OF (BASELESS) FATWAS (ISLAMIC RULES) AND A DENIAL OF THOSE FATWA (ISLAMIC RULES)." ¶4. IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ON WHETHER HE IS SATISFIED WITH THE EXISTING RELIGIOUS CURRICULUM AND WHETHER THE UAEG NEEDS TO REVIEW THEM, HE SAID: "WE HAVE TO BE FRANK HERE AND SAY THAT OUR SCHOOL CURRICULUM HAS BEEN STUDIED BY RELIGIOUS FIGURES AT THE MINISTRY IN COOPERATION WITH THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND WE HAVE MADE NUMEROUS OBSERVATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN FORWARDED TO THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION. WE HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THE CURRICULUMS HAVE MANY ERRONEOUS UNDERSTANDINGS AND UNCLEAR INTERPRETATIONS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED, AND THE MINISTRY WAS VERY CONSIDERATE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THESE FACTS AND WE BOTH AGREED TO REVIEW AND MODIFY THE CURRICULUMS. WE FOUND CLEAR ERRONEOUS CONCEPTIONS OF RELIGIOUS MATTERS IN THOSE BOOKS.THERE WERE ALSO CLEAR MISINTERPRETATIONS OF KORANIC VERSES AND HADITHES AND THEREFORE, THESE WERE MODIFIED TO COMPLY WITH THE ISLAMIC FAITH. THE COMMITTEE THAT WAS ESTABLISHED TO LOOK INTO THIS ALSO FOUND NEED TO TEACH THESE CONCEPTS ACCORDING TO THE AGE OF THE PUPILS. THERE IS CONSIDERABLE INTEREST AT THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION IN THE PROPOSED MODIFICATION, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR FIRST AT THE ELEMENTARY STAGE TO BE FOLLOWED BY OTHER STAGES, AND THE PRINTING OF THOSE BOOKS WILL TAKE PLACE AFTER THE PROPOSED MODIFICATION. THE MINISTER REVEALED THAT AN INSTITUTE FOR ISLAMIC AFFAIRS WOULD BE ESTABLISHED IN ABU DHABI TO TRAIN PREACHERS AND ISLAMIC AFFAIRS STUDENTS ON RELIGIOUS PROGRAMS." SISON