SUNNIS AND SHIAS ATTEND INTERFAITH THANKSGIVING

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUBLIN 001439

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

EUR/PPD (ACERVETTI)
EUR/UBI (NNOLAN)
NEA/PPD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2014
TAGS: PREL PTER PINR KPAO KIRF EI
SUBJECT: SUNNIS AND SHIAS ATTEND INTERFAITH THANKSGIVING
RECEPTION

REF: A. DUBLIN 1264


B. DUBLIN 1216

C. DUBLIN 1087

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JAMES C. KENNY, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B),(D)

Summary
--------------


1. (U) Summary. On November 22, the Ambassador hosted the
Embassy's second annual interfaith Thanksgiving reception, in
large part to promote Post's Muslim outreach program. The
event was especially successful in bringing together key Shia
and Sunni Muslim leaders, including among the Iraqi community
in Ireland, promoting tolerance, and showing the unifying
influence of religion and faith in the United States. End
Summary.

Thanksgiving Reception
--------------


2. (U) On November 22, the Ambassador hosted Post's second
annual inter-faith Thanksgiving reception, an event designed
to reach out mainly to the Muslim community in Ireland and to
emphasize the unifying influence of religion in the United
States. Prominent members from the Muslim, Jewish and
Christian communities were among the approximately 120
guests. Muslims from the Sunni and Shia faiths attended,
including approximately five Shia Iraqis and the director (a
Sunni Iraqi from Mosul) of the Islamic Cultural Center of
Ireland, the largest mosque in Ireland. Many NGO
representatives and several GOI officials, such as human
rights and humanitarian aid officials from the Department of
Foreign Affairs, as well as three Secretaries General of the
government also attended.


3. (U) The event featured readings from the Koran, the Old
Testament and the New Testament by participating
clerics/cantors. The Ambassador also spoke about
Thanksgiving as an American celebration of faith, family and
unity. He said that generosity in response to major
tragedies, such as the Pakistan earthquake, the Asian Tsunami
and Hurricane Katrina, made Thanksgiving this year a more
poignant event. He also described religious faith in the
United States as an anchor that helped to make communities
stronger.


4. (C) Comment: The theme of the American Thanksgiving
holiday appeared to be effective in reaching out to the
Muslim community. Muslim guests expressed surprise that
America has set aside a day to give thanks; they also seemed
unfamiliar with the religious underpinnings of the holiday.
According to several guests, the celebration established a
measure of common ground that they did not know existed.
Muslims who attended last year's reception evidently
pressured other initially reluctant invitees to come this
year. As a result, members of the Sunni Muslim community,
who normally espouse anti-U.S. opinions and are reluctant to
respond to embassy outreach, attended and commented
positively on the celebration. The event was also an
opportunity for GOI officials to learn more about USG
outreach; several officials indicated an increased openness
to include speakers representing American views at a
GOI-sponsored Human Rights conference in June and other
venues. End comment.


5. (U) Highlights of the event included the following:

--According to several guests, this was the only event in
Ireland that enabled members of the government, various NGOs,
and faith-based groups to meet and interact.

--The Shia Muslims, mostly Iraqi with very favorable views on
USG involvement in Iraq, expressed shock at the attendance of
the Imam and prominent leaders of the main Sunni Mosque, who
are vocal in opposition to USG involvement in Iraq. They
also said that the Sunni leaders who attended the event will
now have to confront the radicals in their community and
explain why they were associating with the American Embassy.

--Moderate Sunni Muslims expressed gratitude for this
outreach and a determination to include emboffs in continued
engagement with the community. They relayed a special
interest in helping us to see through what they described as
a facade of moderation in the community and into the
extremist pressures under the surface.


--An Afghani attendee commented that he met more Muslims at
this reception than he had in any previous Irish event.


6. (U) RTE, the local television channel, recorded
highlights of the event as part of its "A Day in the Life of
the American Ambassador" program to be aired on November 25.
RTE filmed the Ambassador at other events, such as at a
breakfast meeting discussing Northern Ireland, a country team
meeting, a session with the Foreign Minister and other
events. We expect the coverage, arranged by RTE journalist
Geraldine Harney, sister of Deputy Prime Minister Mary
Harney, to present a positive image of the United States.

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