SPEAKING WITH MUSLIM LEADERS ABOUT TERRORIST ACS:

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 001012

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2015
TAGS: PREL PTER KISL KPAO BA
SUBJECT: SPEAKING WITH MUSLIM LEADERS ABOUT TERRORIST ACS:
BAHRAIN

REF: A. STATE 121757 B. MANAMA 949

Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe. Reason: 1.4 (B)(D)


1. (C) The Embassy, in response to Ref A instruction, has
focused its initial efforts to encourage denunciation and
delegitimization of terrorist violence on engagement with
Bahrain's senior leadership, including the King, Minister of
Information/Min State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed Abdul
Ghaffar, and Deputy Minister of Islamic Affairs Shaikh Fareed
Al-Muftah. Tragically, this engagement has coincided with
the July 5 shooting of Bahrain's senior diplomat in Baghdad
and the July 7 terrorist bombings in London. Both incidents
generated strong statements against terrorism by Bahrain's
leaders and citizens.


2. (C) The Ambassador raised the issue with King Hamad on
July 5, just hours after Bahrain's Charge d'Affaires in Iraq
Hassan Al-Ansari was wounded in an attack in Baghdad. When
the Ambassador urged the King to look for ways to denounce
terrorism publicly, the King responded positively, turning to
Royal Court minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed and saying that,
in their statements on the Baghdad attack, they should stress
that it was contrary to what Islam was about. The King
stated that he would look for other opportunities to stress
that Islam is against terrorism and is a religion of
tolerance, moderation, and brotherhood. (Note: In an initial
statement issued to the press that night, the King was quoted
as telling Al-Ansari that "such terrorist acts did not belong
to Islam." End note.)


3. (C) The Ambassador delivered Ref A points to Minister of
Information/Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Abdul
Ghaffar on July 9, noting that the July 7 London bombings
underscored all the more the importance of strong statements
denouncing terrorism. Abdul Ghaffar responded that he was
very upset by what had happened in London, and wanted to
develop television and radio programming to promote the
message that Islam is a religion of tolerance and peace, and
not terrorism. This message has been hijacked by the
terrorists, he stated, and television can play a better role
in reaching out to young people with a positive message about
Islam.


4. (C) The Ambassador met July 13 with Deputy Minister of
Islamic Affairs Shaikh Fareed Al-Muftah to discuss ways in
which Muslim religious leaders in Bahrain could play a role
in promoting moderation and denouncing terrorism. Shaikh
Fareed stated he was very supportive of our effort, noting
that he had recently attended a meeting of Islamic clerics
and scholars in Amman in which King Abdullah had spoken
strongly against terrorism as something against the spirit
and principles of Islam. He said the conference had issued
20 fatwas, including one that condemned violence.


5. (C) For Bahrain, Shaikh Fareed stated that, in the short
term, he planned, subject to approval by the Minister of
Islamic Affairs, to prepare language for Friday sermons to be
issued to imams and preachers that would condemn terrorism
and violence. This language would not be based simply on
personal abhorrence of terrorism, he said, but would draw
from citations from the Koran. He acknowledged that some
preachers would ignore the guidance, but expected more
moderate ones to draw from it. For the longer term, and to
try to influence some of the more extreme preachers, he
planned to hold a series of workshops in the fall to discuss
the issue of moderation and Islam and train preachers on how
to give effective speeches that do not encourage violence.
For these workshops, he welcomed the participation of an
American Muslim scholar. (Note: Embassy will explore
possibility of bringing a speaker for this purpose. End
note.)


6. (U) One of the strongest recent statements on terrorism by
a religious figure came from leading Shia Cleric Issa Qassim
in his June 24 Friday sermon, in which he stated: "We must be
wise and reasonable with foreign antagonistic rhetoric
against Islam. We must be vigilant and alert but we must be
as far as possible from fatwas of terrorism and incitement in
the local and international community. Our school is a
school of peace, security, stability, and dialogue. Our
slogan remains 'the dialogue of civilizations' instead of
'the clash of civilizations.'"


7. (U) Government leaders and Shia clerics issued strong
condemnations of terrorism in their responses to the July 7
London bombings. In condolence letters to British leaders,
the King, Crown Prince and Prime Minister condemned the July
7 terrorist attack and called it a criminal act that
contradicted religious and humanitarian principles. The King
stated that global efforts will help eradicate terrorism and
that democratic principles, freedoms, peace and security will
prevail. Abdul Ghaffar told the press that such attacks "
contravene all religious and divine laws and are against
moral and human values." In his July 8 Friday sermon, Shaikh
Issa Qassim condemned the London attacks and said that Islam
requires the condemnation of any and all terrorist activities
regardless of the perpetrator. Shia cleric and opposition
Al-Wifaq President Shaikh Ali Salman denounced terrorist
activities against innocent people in London, Iraq, and
elsewhere.
MONROE