MOI PISANU NO LONGER INTERESTED IN SAUDIS TRAINING

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003828 SIPDIS NSC FOR BRIAN MURPHY E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2015 TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV IT ITALIAN POLITICS SUBJECT: MOI PISANU NO LONGER INTERESTED IN SAUDIS TRAINING LOCAL IMAMS REF: A. ROME 3295 ¶B. GRAPPO/PEARCE EMAIL 10/25/2005 Classified By: Political Minister Counselor David Pearce for reasons 1. 4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Minister of Interior Pisanu told the Ambassador during the Ambassador's introductory call in late September that he had been developing a close working relationship with his Saudi Arabian counterpart (REFTEL). Pisanu spoke positively about a Saudi offer of assistance training imams operating in Italy. Such training would include respect for Italian law and local society. ¶2. (C) Subsequently, Minister of Interior Diplomatic Adviser Guido Lenzi told POLOFF that the Saudi Minister of Interior would travel to Italy in late November in order to further discuss the Saudi proposal, among other issues. Lenzi said that Pisanu was handling the issue himself, and Lenzi speculated that Pisanu was working through Mario Scialoja. Scialoja is a former Italian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia who converted to Islam and is head of the World Islamic Conference in Italy. Pol M/C told Lenzi that we concur with the importance of teaching foreign Imams operating in Italy respect for western values, customs and laws. However, Saudi Imams being brought to train local Imams was another matter. Saudi missionary preachers did not have a history of tolerance, tended to be conservative and critical of non-Wahabi forms of Islam, and would not necessarily operate within any Saudi government guidelines. Pol M/C therefore suggested to Lenzi that the GoI should be cautious in its approach to any program that featured introducing Saudi imams to Italy. ¶3. (C) Subsequently, on November 17, Lenzi told POLOFF that a training agreement with the Saudis was "not in the cards" and that Pisanu had never seriously considered the proposal. Lenzi added that the visit of the Saudi Minister had been delayed until January. ¶4. (C) Comment: Pisanu appears to be backtracking on a bad idea. We understand he also floated the notion of Saudi-trained imams with the French and the British, who reacted equally coolly to the proposal. For their part, the Saudis, along with the Egyptians and the Moroccans, play a major role in managing Italy's only officially recognized mosque in Rome, so they will continue to be involved in Italo-Muslim politics. Pisanu is wrestling seriously with ideas about how to best integrate Muslims into society, and he recognizes the need to better organize the growing number of untrained, self-appointed imams here. Hence, the initial appeal of the reported Saudi proposal. We believe the MoI now has a better idea of the possible downsides. End Comment. SPOGLI