CLERIC IN SPOTLIGHT STRIKES CONCILIATORY TONE

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001916 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/28/2015 TAGS: PREL PGOV BA POL SUBJECT: CLERIC IN SPOTLIGHT STRIKES CONCILIATORY TONE REF: MANAMA 1910 Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (U) Shi'a cleric Shaikh Mohamed Al-Sanad met December 27 with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Islamic Affairs Shaikh Abdulla Bin Khalid Al-Khalifa in the company of Ministry of Islamic Affairs Undersecretary Farid Muftah and president of Al-Wifaq political society Shaikh Ali Salman, to discuss Shaikh Al-Sanad's December 25 detention upon his return from Iran (reftel). During the meeting Shaikh Al-Sanad said that he would respect the country and its leadership and promised not to incite his followers against the GOB. He also agreed to participate in any effort to increase dialogue with the government. For its part, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs pledged to form a joint committee to review public school religious curricula from which sectarian tension may derive. In addition, the Ministry pledged to divide mosque licenses equally between Sunni and Shi'a and to work to resolve more serious issues such as low wages and housing. Shaikh Ali Salman condemned all acts of violence and destruction of property. ¶2. (U) Meanwhile, GOB security forces rearrested several individuals who were allegedly involved in causing damage at the airport (police made some arrests on December 25 but released those detained). Online chat indicated that eight individuals had been taken into custody. Press editorials spoke strongly about the need for security forces to hold accountable those involved in the disturbances and called on religious clerics and civil society groups to protect Bahrain's positive achievements by making strong statements against any further violence. Akhbar Al-Khaleej and Al-Watan Arabic dailies carried full-page advertisements signed by a group of 23 charities, sports clubs and civil society groups (all Sunni) calling for an end to violence and punishment for the perpetrators of the airport damage. ¶3. (C) In a meeting December 28 with the Ambassador, Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa described his December 27 meeting with the head of the Gulf Directorate of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Mustafa Fumini Ha'iri, saying that the focus of their meeting had been the Shaikh Al-Sanad incident. He said that he used the opportunity to express GOB displeasure for Iran's support of Shaikh Al-Sanad and others in Qom who are trying to foment unrest in Bahrain. Ha'iri responded that Iran has nothing to do with Shaikh Al-Sanad and supports King Hamad and his reforms, but would not commit to action against Shaikh Al-Sanad's activities. FM Shaikh Khalid told the Ambassador that this is a typical example in which Iran privately claims to support Bahrain and not back efforts to undermine it, but will not state this publicly or take actions to this effect. FM Shaikh Khalid mentioned that Shaikh Al-Sanad lives in Qom approximately eight months of the year and the remaining months in Bahrain. ¶4. (C) Comment: On the face of it, this incident resolved itself with more winners than losers. Shaikh Al-Sanad, a relatively unknown (in Bahrain) Iran-based cleric, has suddenly gained notoriety, secured a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Islamic Affairs, and emerged with government commitments on issues of great importance to the Shi'a community. The government, for its part, has gotten a critical gadfly to express his acceptance of the legitimacy of the government, and drawn a firm line on violent disturbances. And it did not escape notice that the government chose to include Al-Wifaq president Shaikh Ali Salman in its meeting (and not other members of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs). Not everyone was happy, of course. Chat room talk indicates Shaikh Al-Sanad's more extreme followers were disappointed by Shaikh Al-Sanad's softened tone. Key questions for the future include: will Shaikh Al-Sanad get any additional traction from his sudden local notoriety, and will others draw a lesson that confrontational tactics can be effective in attracting a spotlight? End comment. MONROE