Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05AMMAN8944
2005-11-17 06:03:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY RAMADAN EVENTS

Tags:  KPAO KISL JO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

170603Z Nov 05
UNCLAS AMMAN 008944 

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/PPD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO KISL JO
SUBJECT: PUBLIC DIPLOMACY RAMADAN EVENTS


(NOTE: THIS MESSAGE WAS DRAFTED PRIOR TO THE 11/9 AMMAN
BOMBINGS.)

UNCLAS AMMAN 008944

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/PPD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO KISL JO
SUBJECT: PUBLIC DIPLOMACY RAMADAN EVENTS


(NOTE: THIS MESSAGE WAS DRAFTED PRIOR TO THE 11/9 AMMAN
BOMBINGS.)


1. During Ramadan, Embassy Amman made a comprehensive and
vigorous effort to demonstrate American respect for Islam
and to further public understanding that Islam and
respect for religion are a part of mainstream American
life. All mission elements' public statements during the
month began with traditional Ramadan greetings. The
Public Affairs section, with the support of post
management, successfully encouraged Embassy officers to
fully participate in the busy Ramadan social season.
Several mission elements hosted Iftar dinners and
traditional Ramadan evenings ("umsiyat") for a variety of
contacts. By reaching out as widely as possible, the
Embassy shared the public diplomacy message with the full
range of our contacts in Jordan, reaching out beyond the
usual VIP front office and public diplomacy program
spheres of influence. To help reinforce that message,
PA's information resource center created and distributed
at all the Mission's Ramadan events full-color brochures
featuring Washington File stories about Administration
iftars in Washington and public statements from the White
House and the Department marking Ramadan.


2. The Ambassador hosted an Iftar dinner for leaders in
the interfaith dialogue movement in Jordan, as well as
numerous returned IV and other exchange visitors whose
programs focussed on Islam in the U.S. and on interfaith
dialogue. A number of sharia law students who
participated in exchanges are now teaching sharia and
Islam at Jordanian universities, and particularly
appreciated the opportunity to renew their ties with the
Embassy. The chief Mufti of Jordan and several senior
sharia judges also attended the Iftar and spoke,
underscoring the need for such interfaith opportunities
to focus on our shared values.


3. In order to reach another important but non-
traditional audience, PA hosted an Iftar for the students
at our American Language Center who participated in the
Ramadan intensive course. Some thirty students, mostly
university students or recent graduates, attended. PAO
thanked them for attending, and for making learning
English with us such an important priority that they
continued it even during the month of Ramadan.


4. PA also hosted its now traditional annual Ramadan
event for the media, this year organizing an "umsiya
ramadaniyya" or Ramadan evening, instead of the more
formal and briefer Iftar. This relaxed four hour event
allowed journalists to loosen their ties, play cards,
smoke sheesha, and share gossip and political opinions
with members of the country team and the PA press staff.
Nearly 150 journalists stopped by to share in the Ramadan
fellowship.


5. We also reached out beyond these audiences, and made
our Ramadan events a mission-wide effort, to help spread
the message of respect to the widest possible range of
embassy contacts. The economic section hosted one Iftar
in honor of a Washington State University delegation here
as part of a bilateral program to help the private sector
work more closely with universities, and another Iftar
with senior government officials working in fiscal
policy. The political section hosted an Iftar for
members of Parliament, and another for key Iraqi contacts
here in Amman. The RSO hosted an Iftar for a broad range
of security contacts in honor of DS A/S Griffin. The CAO
hosted an Iftar for key working level cultural contacts.
FCS hosted an Iftar for a group of Jordanian and Iraqi
company representatives traveling to a U.S. trade show.


6. During Ramadan, PA Amman also provided a public
diplomacy grant to the Jordanian Interfaith Coexistence
Research Center to carry out an international workshop on
King Abdullah II's Amman Message on moderate Islam. At
this year's meeting, partially sponsored by the PA grant
and carried out under the patronage of the King, the
Jordanian Interfaith Coexistence Research Center invited
Muslims, Christians, and Jews from the region, Europe,
and the U.S. to discuss interfaith dialogue and
tolerance, issuing a final joint communique stressing the
importance of dialogue and mutual understanding.
HALE