ENGAGING MUSLIMS IN GERMANY ON U.S. FOREIGN POLICY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 003529 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/AGS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: GM KISL PTER SUBJECT: ENGAGING MUSLIMS IN GERMANY ON U.S. FOREIGN POLICY ¶1. Summary. Mission Germany has expanded its Muslim engagement efforts to include a series of roundtable discussions on U.S. foreign policy with prominent members of Germany's Muslim communities. Despite skepticism and suspicion from some interlocutors, most are keen to express their political views to the U.S. government. The goal of this ongoing "Foreign Policy Roundtable" is to counter misperceptions and misinformation about U.S. policies, develop a sense of shared interests and perceptions even if disagreements on specific policies continue, and, through the multiplier effect of our interlocutors, help undermine the bases for extremism and anti-Americanism among Muslims. Mission Germany welcomes participation in future Roundtable discussions by State Department officials with expertise on/responsibilities for issues of interest to Muslim communities here, including Middle East issues. End summary. ¶2. Mission Germany has built extensive relationships with the many diverse Muslim communities in Germany. Our contacts include leaders of all the major Muslim religious groups and of many non-religious organizations for persons from largely Muslim countries; academics with Muslim background active on Muslim, immigration, and other political issues; politicians and government officials of Muslim background; and community activists. In addition to existing cultural and public affairs activities, Mission Germany has stepped up efforts to engage Muslims in Germany on foreign policy matters. Using the goodwill fostered by previous engagement efforts, we seek to explain our foreign policy to key Muslim community leaders in a collegial, receptive environment. Countering Myth with Facts -------------- ¶3. Through our roundtables, we seek to reinforce that a) the fight against terrorism is focused on extremists, not on Islam, b) we have many shared interests with Muslims, and c) the U.S. has often stood alongside Muslims (e.g., Afghanistan, Bosnia, Indonesia, Iraq, Kosovo, Kuwait, and Pakistan) in pursuit of shared political and humanitarian interests. A better understanding of our foreign policy and an awareness of frequent past collaboration would be a major step forward. ¶4. Since early November, Embassy Berlin has hosted three Foreign Policy Roundtables with Muslim leaders with the participation of visiting State Department officials who are experts in policy issues of interest to these key Muslim contacts. EUR/SE Director Doug Silliman led the first roundtable on November 6 which drew, among others, European Parliament member Cem Oezdemir. The session centered on Turkey and Cyprus issues. Silliman also was able to authoritatively and completely counter misperceptions about alleged U.S. support of the PKK. In the second session, which focused on Afghanistan, Thomas Johnson (USAID Director in Kabul) clearly described many American-led reconstruction efforts which the attendees were previously unaware of. On December 7, Charles King Mallory, NEA Senior Advisor, led the discussion on a new strategic landscape in the Middle East. Eight prominent Muslims attended the event. They represented DITIB (the major Turkish organization in Germany supported by the Turkish government),the Turkish Community of Germany, the Association of Islamic Culture Centers, the Alevitan Community of Germany, the European Integration Center, and the Heinrich Boell Institute (affiliated with the Green Party.) A Muslim German who works on integration issues at the German Interior Ministry also attended. ¶5. Mallory emphasized the importance of spreading democracy in the Middle East, reiterated U.S. support for Turkey's EU membership, and underscored the importance of prominent Muslims to vociferously renounce violence and extremism as political tools. Discussion of integration into German society, religious versus secular representation of Muslims, and democracy in the Middle East revealed a wide range of viewpoints among Muslim attendees. Most emphasized that the U.S. would find it hard to change the minds of Muslims because of their perception of a credibility gap between the U.S. and Muslims overseas. The group was unanimous, however, in its desire to see the Foreign Policy Roundtable continue on a regular basis. Overcoming Skepticism -------------- BERLIN 00003529 002 OF 002 ¶6. During the course of developing the initiative, Mission representatives met in Cologne and Berlin with prominent Muslims. Some organizations, such as DITIB and the liberal Alevitan Community, were eager to participate in the Roundtable from the start. Others, such as the Association of Islamic Culture Centers and the Islam Council, were clearly and openly suspicious of U.S. government motives. Poloffs explained that Mission Germany is pursuing Muslim engagement because the U.S. and Muslims in Germany share the objectives of undermining support for extremists through open discussion of common interests and promotion of better Muslim integration into European societies. ¶7. Many of our Muslim contacts have expressed the wish to visit the U.S. via mechanisms such as the International Visitor (IV) program. Interestingly, even some contacts who come from groups that do not view the U.S. in a positive way have expressed eagerness to participate in the IV program. Such skeptical Muslim contacts could prove to be the program's most valuable participants. ¶8. Comment: Mission Germany's experience shows that Muslims in Germany want to express their views on foreign policy to U.S. government officials. Participants are probably motivated not only by a desire to discuss foreign policy, but also to confirm their place in the fragmented landscape of Muslim organizations in Germany. Nonetheless, their desire to engage with the U.S. indicates that a window of opportunity is open to shape Muslim popular opinion and behavior. End comment. KOENIG