ONE MAN'S NEGATIVE REACTION TO UAE FRIDAY SERMONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 003905

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/2010
TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV TC
SUBJECT: ONE MAN'S NEGATIVE REACTION TO UAE FRIDAY SERMONS

REF: (A) ABU DHABI 3161 (B) ABU DHABI 3299

Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison, reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (C) Summary: While the UAEG program of prepared Friday
sermons is undoubtedly a strong step towards fighting
radicalism and thus terrorism, there is an element of UAE
society that is rankled by what it sees as heavy-handed
government interference, and which attributes this
interference to U.S. influence. This message summarizes a
conversation with one outspoken Dubai attorney known for his
often controversial views. End summary.


2. (C) On August 30, PolOff met with Mohammed Al Roken, an
Emirati attorney in Dubai, to discuss the status of his
pending application before the Ministry of Labour and Social
Affairs to create the country's first independent human
rights NGO. Al Roken is Chairman of the UAE jurist,s
association, and assistant professor of Sharia and Law at UAE
University. He is a regular contributor to the Gulf Research
Center (a Saudi-sponsored think tank) "Araa" magazine and the
Lebanese published "The Daily Star," and has also written for
the "American Committee on Jerusalem" and the "UAE
Anti-Normalization Committee with Israel." He was one of
dozens of UAE academics with an Islamic bent dismissed in the
aftermath of 9/11; an ongoing de facto ban dating from 2001
prevents him and nine other prominent intellectuals from
either teaching or publishing editorials or opinions in
either the English or Arabic UAE press. His writings often
criticize both the UAEG and USG.


3. (C) In the course of the conversation, Al Roken mentioned
that he believed the UAEG elements that were blocking his NGO
were the same elements that were responsible for the Friday
sermons (note: it is rumored that the NGO is being blocked
specifically because of "certain radical elements" on the
proposed NGO's board of Governors. End note.) When asked
for his thoughts on the sermons, he noted that for the first
time in his experience, people were leaving the mosque on
Friday and making jokes about what was said. Asked if the
prescribed sermons had affected his attendance, he answered
that of course one could not stop going to Friday prayers,
but that he and his peers largely ignored the sermons, joking
that they can always get them on the internet if they want to
know what is going to be said. He chafed at the idea that the
UAEG and "outside influences" were trying to dictate what
could be discussed in the mosque. When asked if the sermons
had changed the dialogue at all, he responded that "the
government cannot stop the people from discussing what they
want to discuss, only when and where they discuss it."


4. (C) Al Roken also noted that the "radical dialogue" that
the UAEG had wanted to suppress had simply moved from the
mosque to the coffee house Friday evening, and that the
overall audience was now larger because the youth were
interested in finding out what it was they weren't supposed
to hear. He expressed concern that the youth are no longer
speaking freely with the Imams because they believe the Imams
are now tied to the government. Therefore, he said, there is
no opportunity for the Imams to correct any "wrong thinking."


5. (C) Comment: Al Roken's remarks demonstrate that while
there is a clear upside to the UAEG's top-down dissemination
of a moderate message, there may also be a downside. Embassy
and ConGen Dubai will continue to follow the UAEG's
counter-radicalization efforts, their impact, and any
possible backlash. End Comment
SISON