PRESIDENT ATTENDS 9/11 INTERFAITH COMMEMORATION

UNCLAS VILNIUS 000959

SIPDIS

STATE FOR R, EUR/PPD - JLOCKARD AND EUR/NB - GNOLL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO PREL LH
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT ATTENDS 9/11 INTERFAITH COMMEMORATION
FOR TERRORISM VICTIMS

Ref: State 161551

FIRST-EVER INTERFAITH GATHERING IN LITHUANIA
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1. The Embassy helped to organize an interfaith
commemoration for the victims of terrorism at a Lutheran
church in Vilnius on September 11. The event represented
the first large-scale interfaith service ever held in
Lithuania, and was covered by all major national media.
Leaders from five faiths and Lithuanian President Valdas
Adamkus participated in the program along with Ambassador
Mull and his Russian, Spanish, Turkish and British
colleagues. The event garnered coverage on all Lithuanian
media, especially TV. The event was a major public
diplomacy success; we estimate that more than half of the
country's citizens saw coverage of the event. End Summary.

MULTI-NATIONAL AND MULTI-FAITH PARTICIPATION
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2. Post worked with the Vilnius faith community to
organize an interfaith service in memory of the victims of
terrorism in the four years since September 11, 2001. The
Ambassadors of Russia, Spain, Turkey and the U.K. joined
Ambassador Mull in inviting the President, diplomatic
colleagues, and citizens to attend the service. The
Lutheran community offered its church and Catholic, Mormon,
Muslim and Orthodox leaders participated in the service. A
Jewish rabbi declined to participate but the Jewish
community did send a representative to attend the service.
The one-hour service included readings and prayers from
each cleric and musical performances by a youth choir, a
father-and-son trumpet duet, and an organist. President
Adamkus and the five Ambassadors resident in Lithuania
whose countries have suffered major terrorist attacks since
9/11 presented wreaths. The ceremony's 175 attendees
included several other top-level officials, including the
Commander of the Armed Forces, and many other members of
the diplomatic community, including the Ambassadors of
Germany, Sweden, Finland, and Ireland. An as-yet
undisclosed amount was collected by the church and will be
donated to the International Red Cross/Red Crescent.

FULL MEDIA COVERAGE
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3. The media gave extensive coverage to the event. All
four national TV stations showed their coverage on the
Sunday evening news. The most popular station led off its
evening newscast with a two-plus minute piece on the
interfaith gathering. National radio, internet media,
press, and the wire services also covered the event. Media
quoted Ambassador Mull talking about the international
nature of terrorism and the unity demonstrated by all the
nations and faiths represented in the service. President
Adamkus spoke of the importance of unity and the symbolism
of the interfaith service.


4. The media coverage of this post-initiated interfaith
gathering reached an estimated two million of Lithuania's
3.5 million people. The coverage emphasized the unique
nature of the event and the unity presented by all fronts
in remembrance of those who suffered, in rejecting terror
and in expressing resolve to combat terror in the future.
The gathering also brought together religious figures who
do not meet often.

MULL