ISLAMIC AFFAIRS OFFICIAL PROMOTES MODERATION,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 001292

SIPDIS

STATE FOR R, ECA, IIP, NEA, NEA/ARPI, NEA/PI, NEA/PPD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/2015
TAGS: PREL KISL KPAO OEXC SCUL BA
SUBJECT: ISLAMIC AFFAIRS OFFICIAL PROMOTES MODERATION,
REQUESTS EXPANDED EXCHANGE PROGRAMS WITH U.S.

REF: MANAMA 468

Classified by Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).

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Summary
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1. (C) Ministry of Islamic Affairs Under Secretary Dr.
Fareed Al Muftah told the Ambassador September 4 that he
welcomed USG support for exchange programs to promote the
concepts of tolerance and moderation in Islam. The Ministry
would assist in programming American speakers on Islam in the
United States and requested the establishment of programs to
send groups of Bahraini clerics to the U.S. to exchange ideas
with Americans on the role of religion in the modern world.
Al Muftah has launched initiatives to provide standard
language to imams for their Friday sermons with themes of
tolerance and coexistence, and a council to provide
mainstream guidance on Islamic principles to combat extremist
trends. End Summary.

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Programming on Islam in the Modern World
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2. (C) Ministry of Islamic Affairs Under Secretary Dr.
Fareed Al Muftah opened the September 4 with the Ambassador
by expressing his condolences for the losses caused by
hurricane Katrina. He said he talked about this tragedy
during his Friday sermon on September 2. The Ambassador
expressed his gratitude for Bahrain's generosity in donating
$5 million for the relief effort. The Ambassador stated that
a key aim of the United States was to promote the common
values of moderation and tolerance through outreach efforts.
He cited as an example that Under Secretary of State for
Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Hughes had met recently
with American Muslim leader to enhance relations and
understanding. Recalling previous comments by Al Muftah, the
Ambassador said the United States would like to support his
efforts to spread awareness of Islam as a tolerant and
moderate religion, and passed him information on possible
American Muslim speakers. (Note: Post is planning to
program a speaker on this subject early in FY-2006, to be
requested septel.)


3. (C) Al Muftah welcomed the United States' interest in
supporting his campaign and said he would like to program any
speakers the U.S. sends to discuss Islam. He said they could
provide needed perspective to Bahrainis about living
side-by-side with people of other religions and explain the
way they practice Islam in the U.S. He is organizing a
conference in December to bring together Bahraini imams, both
Sunni and Shia, to discuss Islam and the modern world. Those
who don't understand the Koran, Al Muftah said, think it
tells them to carry out jihad against those of different
faiths. This is wrong, and the conference will deal with
these types of questions and provide accurate guidance and
interpretations. The intended result is that Friday sermons
contain clearer ideas and a more modern interpretation of the
religion. In response to the Ambassador's suggestion, Al
Muftah welcomed the concept of American speakers
participating in the conference.

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Expanding Cultural Exchanges
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4. (C) Al Muftah asked about the possibility of Bahrain and
the United States signing a bilateral protocol to promote
cooperation in the field of religion. His idea is to use an
agreement to systematize programs on religious/cultural
understanding via lectures, speeches, conferences, exhibition
and workshops. He also suggested sending groups of Bahraini
Sunni and Shia clerics to the United States to exchange ideas
with Americans on the role of religion in the modern world.
(Note: Post will consult with ECA to determine if funding is
available beyond that already allocated for the FY-2006 IV
candidate slate. A proposal for a special single country IV
program will come septel.)


5. (C) Al Muftah said that he was working on the formation
of a council at the Ministry to educate religious scholars on
tolerance and moderation. The idea comes as a result of an
exercise over the summer when the Ministry gave imams
standard language for use in their sermons that combat the
incorrect concept that non-Muslims are infidels. The
Ministry is preparing a second set of points on the
relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims and the
treatment of non-Muslims in Islamic countries. Al Muftah
said that most imams welcomed these ideas; those who did not
agree chose not to use the language rather than criticize it.
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Islamic Guidance and Personal Freedoms
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6. (C) The proposed council would coordinate the efforts of
highly educated clerics to talk with citizens in a setting
other than Friday prayers about moderation and tolerance.
The Ministry has forwarded its proposal to the Cabinet which,
upon approval, will send it to parliament for funding. The
Ministry intends to send a delegation to parliament to lobby
for the appropriation.


7. (C) Al Muftah said that some conservative Sunnis in
parliament, led by independent Salafi MP Jassim Al Saeedi,
have advocated the formation of a security organization with
powers to enforce Islamic law, a "virtue and vice" group, as
exists in Saudi Arabia. Al Muftah deeply opposes this and,
as an alternative, has proposed that the Ministry council
provide guidance "in a modern way" that does not conflict
with personal freedoms. He warned that an extremist trend
exists in Bahrain and he and his Ministry are dealing with it
in a serious way.


8. (C) As an example, Al Muftah told the Ambassador that the
Ministry had suspended a Sunni preacher in early August who
had made outrageous accusations against the United States,
Iran, and Bahraini Shia during a sermon. Al Muftah called in
the cleric and warned him about making accusatory
generalizations about anyone or anything. The preacher
agreed to strive to do better and, since he returned to his
mosque, his sermons have improved a bit, Al Muftah said.

MONROE