AMBASSADOR VISITS MATOLA MUSLIM SCHOOL

UNCLAS MAPUTO 000836

SIPDIS
PARIS FOR ARS
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/PD (LMING); AF/S (HTREGER)
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KPAO PINR PTER KISL MZ
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR VISITS MATOLA MUSLIM SCHOOL


1. On June 16 the Matola Muslim School (Massjid Hamza)
warmly welcomed its first visit by an American ambassador.
Following up on his participation in last November's Iftar
hosted by the Ambassador, the school's director and the most
important Imam in Mozambique, Sheik Aminudine Muhammed, gave
a warm introduction in front of sixty students and faculty.
He presented Ambassador La Lime, the PAO, and USAID officer
with gift books. Ambassador La Lime in turn took advantage
of the occasion to explain U.S. activities and objectives in
Mozambique, including the desire to reach out to the Islamic
community.


2. Sheik Muhammed then accompanied the Ambassador on a tour
of the campus, located in suburban Maputo. During the course
of the walk-through, the Sheik and various faculty
colleagues waxed enthusiastic about the Ambassador's
presence. They emphasized that education made up only one
aspect of the institution's community functions; they also
operate a morgue, mosque, a kitchen for the needy, and a
radio station.


3. The visit, a part of the PA-coordinated Mission Speakers
Initiative, included a lively question-and-answer session
with about forty students. Students asked several direct
questions, dealing with Iraq, Islam in the U.S., and
homosexuality under American law. All three Americans gave
interviews to Radio Imame, the local Muslim radio station
that reaches a daily audience of 15,000 in the Maputo area.
The PAO then toured the nearby radio station and arranged
for a follow-up radio appearance. The school itself has
requested an ongoing relationship with the Mission, with
focus on its library, small grants, and support for English-
language education.


4. COMMENT. Massjid Hamza is primarily a boarding school,
grooming talented Muslim students from throughout Mozambique
for leadership positions in Islamic institutions and
communities. Students study for ten years and more through
high school, often going years without returning home.
DUDLEY