AMERICAN IMAM CAMPAIGNS FOR TOLERANCE,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 009380

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TAGS: KPAO OEXC OIIP KIRF EG
SUBJECT: AMERICAN IMAM CAMPAIGNS FOR TOLERANCE,
UNDERSTANDING



1. SUMMARY: American Imam Mohammed Bashar Arafat
engaged religious scholars, students, journalists,
and media audiences across the Arab world with his
message of tolerance and hope during a visit to Egypt
Dec. 1-13. In purposeful, persuasive Arabic
cadences, Bashar preached respect for Christianity
and Judiasm, promoted a positive view of Islam in
America, and called for increased exchanges between
the United States and the Islamic world. Media
coverage was overwhelmingly positive, and rural
religious students flocked to him like a rock star.
END SUMMARY.


2. Imam Bashar Arafat, founder of the Civilizations
Exchange and Cooperation Foundation in Baltimore and
a former imam at Johns Hopkins University, spent
nearly two weeks, morning and night, on a USG-
financed speaking program engaging Egyptians across
the spectrum: religious and secular, rural and urban,
old and young, Copt and Muslim. He reached more than
2,000 people in person and millions more through
print interviews and television broadcasts spanning
the Arab world.


3. In meetings with the Grand Mufti of Egypt, the
president of Al-Azhar University, and imams at the
Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Bashar called
for more religious leaders to visit the United
States, to learn English, and to improve their
understanding of American culture. In dialogues
heavy with references to the Quran and the Hadith, he
noted that Muhammed preached respect for the
teachings of Moses and Jesus and that Islam respects
all believers. In meetings with Azhar graduates, he
argued the need for renewal and reexamination of
Islams relations to the modern world, subtly nudging
that critical institution to greater leadership in
confronting the challenges of a rapidly developing
and changing world. At almost all gatherings, Arafat
told listeners that Islam as practiced in the United
States was more faithful to the religion than current
practices in most Islamic countries.


4. Bashars meetings with youth included discussions
with religious students in Cairo University and the
University of Fayyum, political science students in
Cairo University, alumni of the YES high-school
exchange program, and high-school participants in
Catholic schools civic education camps. He
reinforced the value of interfaith dialogue and told
them that Islam is an accepted, and growing, presence
in the United States.


5. The political students received him politely and
asked predictably tough questions about U.S. policy
in the Middle East. Many of the YES exchange alumni
had met him during their year in the United States.
s.
They greeted him as a longtime friend, relating how
their year in America had helped them to become more
self-confident and eager to promote religious
tolerance in Egypt. While students in the religious
schools had hard questions about Iraq and
discrimination against Muslims in America, they
welcomed Bashar warmly and enthusiastically.


6. In Fayyum, a conservative city two hours south of
Cairo, students hung a large sign to welcome him,
rolled a red carpet out to his car, and stood at
attention -- more or less -- as he walked up to the
building. About 800 students filled the auditorium
beyond normal capacity, listened attentively to his
lecture, and submitted stacks of written questions
and comments. One student commented that Bashars
lecture had turned around his opinion of America 180
degrees. After the lecture, students thronged him
and moved en masse to his vehicle, peppering him with
questions and thanks until he drove away.


7. In Alexandria, Bashar addressed over 120 guests
at the American Center. He used power point slides
demonstrating the relative wealth and diversity of
the U.S. Muslim community, and numerous photos of
mosques across America. He noted, in particular, his
work with young Muslims and urged Egyptian religious
figures to listen to young people and adapt their
message to help youth succeed in meeting the
challenges of the modern world.


8. At a meeting with Awqaf representatives in
Alexandria, Bashar subtly criticized Al Azhar for not
providing stronger leadership and modern ideas to
help advance the state of Muslims in the modern age.
In a separate meeting with judges, Bashar explored
the possibility of a future conference in the United
States between religious and legal figures to discuss
issues related to the application of Sharia law.


9. Media coverage of Imam Bashars visit included
highly successful one-on-one interviews with major
Arabic language TV stations and newspapers. The imam
reached millions of viewers across the Arab world
d
through interviews on Egypts number-one talk show
Bait Baitak (My House is Your House); on the very
popular Nile News station; and on Iqra, the top-rated
religious station in the region. Bashar was also
interviewed by numerous print media outlets leading to
several important articles in leading Arabic language
newspapers, including the pro-government daily Rose Al
Youssef (circulation: 15,000),the leading independent
newspaper Al Masry al Yom (circulation 15,000),and
the second leading independent paper Nahdet Masr
(circulation 20,000).


10. Bashar also participated in discussions in the
Embassy on expanding people-to-people exchanges,
indicating that he hopes to continue building bridges
between the United States and the Islamic world.





JONES