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