VISIT BY COUNCIL ON AMERICAN ISLAMIC RELATIONS

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002127 SIPDIS SENSITIVE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD; INFO NEA/FO, R E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KISL SOCI PHUM PGOV KDEM AE SUBJECT: VISIT BY COUNCIL ON AMERICAN ISLAMIC RELATIONS (CAIR) TO UAE ¶1. (U) On May 21, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) paid a courtesy call on the Ambassador to discuss the organization's issues, outreach strategies, and its visit to the UAE. The UAE press has reported that Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry, "has endorsed a proposal to build a property in the U.S. to serve as an endowment for CAIR." DCM, PAO and MEPI Regional Director also participated in the meeting. ¶2. (U) The group expressed ideas about countering negative stereotypes about Muslims in the U.S. ("Islamophobia") and addressing anti-Americanism in the Middle East. They mentioned previous meetings with State Department officials, U/S Karen Hughes and A/S David Welch, their attendance at the Secretary's Iftar, and spoke of a possible meeting with SIPDIS President Bush in the future. ¶3. (U) Mr. Don Myers, representing Washington, D.C. public relations firm Hill & Knowlton, provided a short demonstration of a PR campaign designed to support CAIR's overall organizational objectives defined as: 1) political empowerment of Muslims, 2) grassroots effort by CAIR to improve community relations with non-Muslims, 3) launching of an effective, long-term (5 year) advertising/outreach campaign to counter negative stereotypes about Muslims. ¶4. (U) Members of the CAIR delegation included: Hon. Larry Shaw, Senator (North Carolina General Assembly); Hon. Paul Findley, Former U.S. Representative; Don Myers, Washington, D.C. public relations firm Hill & Knowlton; Nihad Awad, CAIR Executive Director and Co-Founder; Cary (Ibrahim) Hooper, CAIR Communication Director and Co-Founder; Dr. Parvez Ahmed, CAIR Board Chairman; and Dr. Nabil Sadoun, CAIR Board Member. ¶5. (U) CAIR delegation also paid a call earlier in the day on Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad al-Qassimi, Ruler of Sharjah, which was covered in the press. ¶6. (U) Sheikh Ali al-Hashemi, UAE Presidential Adviser on Islamic affairs, is hosting a reception at his house this evening, May 22, in honor of the CAIR group; Ambassador and PolOff to attend. Al-Hashemi also thanked the Ambassador for receiving the CAIR delegation. ¶7. (SBU) Comment: CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad told us that while they were pleased with the results of the meeting with Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, they had no concrete information on the size of the endowment or when it might be forthcoming. Awad also mentioned that the Bin Hamoodah Group, a $500 million/year trading company, founded by three Emirati brothers and representing Haliburton, IBM, FMC Corporation and General Motors, is CAIR's main benefactor in the UAE. One newly-rich stock trader, Talal Khoori (UAE national of Iranian origin),is believed to have donated one million dollars to CAIR. SISON