IRAQ: SHEIKH OF AL AZHAR AND OTHER EGYPTIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 001185

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER EG IZ
SUBJECT: IRAQ: SHEIKH OF AL AZHAR AND OTHER EGYPTIAN
NOTABLES DENOUNCE SAMARRA ATTACK, CALL FOR END TO SECTARIAN
STRIFE

REF: A. STATE 31188

B. STATE 28802

Classified by DCM Stuart Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) On February 25, during an unprecedented visit to
the Iraqi Embassy in Cairo, Al Azhar's Sheikh Mohamed Sayed
Tantawi, Egyptian Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa, and Minister of
Religious Endowments Hamdy Zaqzouq conducted a lengthy,
televised press conference with Iraqi Charge Saad Ridha aimed
at easing sectarian tensions in Iraq following the
destruction of the Shia Al-Askaria Shrine in Samarra. During
the highly publicized event, Sheikh Tantawi extolled Iraqi
factions to resort to dialogue over violence and avoid
divisions between Sunna and Shia sects. In addition to his
conciliatory words, Tantawi offered to travel to Iraq if
invited to mediate between factions. His offer, we
understand from the Iraqi Charge, was quickly accepted by
Iraqi Prime Minister Jafari, who made the offer on television
February 26. Egyptian Grand Mufti Gomaa and Minister of
Religious Endowments Zaqzouq echoed Tantawi's calls for peace
and reconciliation, and denouced the "criminal acts" on Iraqi
places of worship.


2. (U) On a less helpful note, Al Azhar University President
Ahmed Al-Tayyeb also spoke at the conference, deploring
current divisions between Iraqi Shia and Sunnis but accusing
"Zionist intelligence agencies" of scheming to impair the
image of Muslims "to make them look divided and weak."
Al-Tayyeb's Deputy, Omar al-Deeb, sounded a similarly
conspiratorial note after his denunciation of attacks on
houses of worship in Iraq, accusing "invisible hands" of foul
play.


3. (C) The visit and press conference by Sheikh Tantawi at
the Iraqi Embassy come after several requests by the DCM and
other Embassy officers to senior GOE officials to take quick
action to denounce the Samarra attack and stress publicly the
importance of easing tensions inside Iraq. The DCM passed
this message directly to Al Azhar senior advisor Ali Saman on
February 23, following his participation in a civil-society
roundtable discussion with the Secretary.


4. (U) Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa also issued
a formal statement February 25 on the Samarra attack, citing
his phone call that day to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, in
which Moussa urged him to "utilize his wisdom and good
offices in working to calm the situation in Iraq and maintain
the unity of the people. Moussa also called for not giving a
chance to those who want to create sectarian strife among the
various sects of Iraqi society."
RICCIARDONE