C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BASRAH 000138

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 8/24/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL IR IZ
SUBJECT: SHAHID AL-MEHRAB EXPLAINS VIEWS, ACTIVITIES

REF: BASRAH 66

BASRAH 00000138 001.2 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: Andrea Gastaldo, Deputy Regional Coordinator, REO
Basrah, DOS.
REASON: 1.4 (b)


1. (C) Summary. On August 23, the head of the Basrah branch of
the Shahid al-Mehrab Islamic organization, Sheikh Diya
al-Timimi, hosted the Regional Coordinator and poloff and
briefed them about the educational and charitable activities of
the group. The sheikh said that Shahid al-Mehrab has 5,000
scholars, of whom 1,500 are women, active in 80 branches
throughout Iraq. He explained Shahid al-Mehrab's efforts to
educate citizens about the importance of the constitutional
referendum and its support for federalism as the political
foundation for the new Iraq and denied any connection with Iran.
End Summary.

-------------- --------------
FOCUS ON ISLAMIC CIVIC EDUCATION
-------------- --------------


2. (C) On August 23, Sheikh Diya al-Timimi, the head of the
Basrah branch of Shahid al-Mehrab, received the Regional
Coordinator and poloff at his office and briefed them about the
educational and charitable activities of the group. The sheikh
said that Shahid al-Mehrab is the first entity to spread Islamic
culture and religion throughout the country and has more than
5,000 scholars, of whom 1,500 are women, active in 80 branches
in Iraq. The group spreads the spiritual teachings of Ayatollah
Ali SISTANI about moderation, tolerance of other opinions, and
self-control with the goal of creating a new society to replace
the oppressive dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, according to
Sheikh al-Timimi. He added that Shahid al-Mehrab is under the
leadership of Secretary General Sayed Amar al-Hakim and
disclaimed any connection with the Supreme Council of the
Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) or with Iran.


3. (C) Asked about Shahid al-Mehrab's civic education work, the
sheikh said in the run-up to the national referendum on the
constitution, the 5,000 Shahid al-Mehrab scholars went to great
lengths to inform the public about the benefits of the document.

In Basrah, 3 million people attended 250 meetings convened in
mosques to explain what was at stake in the referendum,
according to the sheikh. Asked if Shahid al-Mehrab would
encourage people to vote in the coming provincial elections, the
sheikh demurred, saying consultations first were needed with the
secretary general. He said that Shahid al-Mehrab's main goal is

SIPDIS
to see "good people" in office and avoid a return of
dictatorship, an allusion to widespread disillusionment with the
rampant violence and corruption practiced by the political
parties that currently control Basrah. The sheikh said that
Shahid al-Mehrab has a duty to educate the people, but the
people have the right to choose for themselves.

-------------- --------------
--------------
SHAHID AL-MEHRAB: FEDERALISM AND THE COALITION
-------------- --------------
--------------


4. (C) Sheikh al-Timimi declared Shahid al-Mehrab's firm
support for federalism as the basis for peace in the new Iraq.
Because of the long history of oppression of Iraqi Shias, the
nine predominantly Shia provinces south and southeast of Baghdad
(Basrah, Dhi Qar, Maysan, Muthanna, Najaf, Karbala, Qadisiyah,
Babil and Wasit) need to band together in what the sheikh called
"a large, strong" Shia entity. He said that Shahid al-Mehrab
has no problems with other political parties, only with
militias. He welcomed the presence of the Coalition Forces in
Iraq as a stabilizing influence at a time that Iraqi security
forces are unequal to their tasks. He added that Shahid
al-Mehrab wants to see Iraq have good relations with all its
neighbors without outside interference.

--------------
CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
--------------


5. (C) Sheikh al-Timimi reported that another of Shahid
al-Mehrab's activities is support of orphans and displaced Shia
families who have fled ethnic cleansing in the north (see
reftel). In Basrah, he said, 2,400 orphans receive monthly
allowances. He added that Shahid al-Mehrab, which was
established in 2003, is attracting new adherents because many
people are persuaded of the value of its work at Friday mosque
sermons. He said that Shahid al-Mehrab's funding comes largely
from Zakat, the charitable contributions that Islam requires of
its followers. He said that businessmen in the Gulf also make
significant contributions.


BASRAH 00000138 002.2 OF 002



6. (C) Comment. In its three years of existence, Shahid
al-Mehrab has quietly spread its Islamic educational agenda and
civic action programs - along with the construction of 500
mosques that serve as pulpits for its adherents - throughout
Iraq. It operates as a well-organized and well-funded
mouthpiece for SCIRI in southern Iraq. Despite Sheikh
al-Timimi's assertion that Shahid al-Mehrab is not connected to
SCIRI, there is no doubt that the two organizations are closely
linked. Sheikh al-Timimi's hard to swallow contention that
Shahid al-Mehrab has no ties to Iran is similarly incredulous.
Direct and substantial funding from Iran is an open secret.
Shahid al-Mehrab's ability to spread its orthodoxy on key issues
- such as its view on federalism - could be the deciding
influence for voters in the south. End Comment.
GROSS