DANISH CARTOON CONTROVERSY: GOE WORKING TO DEFUSE

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000800 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER ASEC EG DA SUBJECT: DANISH CARTOON CONTROVERSY: GOE WORKING TO DEFUSE CRISIS, VIOLENT PROTESTS IN EGYPT UNLIKELY REF: A. CAIRO 713 ¶B. CAIRO 712 ¶C. STATE 20587 ¶D. STATE 20453 Classified by ECPO Minister Counselor Michael Corbin for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) According to our European colleagues, GOE officials, and our own analysis, the GOE and Egyptian public remain deeply angered over the cartoon controversy and believe additional steps can be taken by the Danes to defuse the current tensions. The issue of physical security for the Danish and other European missions has never been in question, due to a strong Egyptian security presence which we expect will prevent the violent protests witnessed elsewhere in the region (ref B). Nevertheless, a public boycott of Danish products continues, small demonstrations continue at schools, Islamic institutions, and the Danish/Norwegian/EU missions, and the local media continue to focus attention on the issue. The GOE, after pressing the issue for months with the Europeans and within the Islamic community, remains upset but understands the dangers of allowing the issue to be controlled by extremists in the region. ¶2. (C) The Ambassador conveyed USG concerns on the issue February 8 to MFA Chef du Cabinet Wafaa Bassim and informed her that Secretary Rice would be calling Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit on the same topic. On February 9, the Ambassador raised the issue with Arab League Secretary General Moussa, who stressed his public support for a joint statement by the UN Secretary General, the EU's Solana, and the OIC Secretary General. Moussa predicted that if publications of the cartoons were to stop, Muslim demonstrators would "run out of ammo," and the situation would quickly calm down. Moussa also shared that Solana would be in Cairo February 15, and that a potential OIC ministerial in Mecca "was on hold." Moussa also mentioned plans to launch an Arab-European dialogue to enhance relations between the two regions, the first session of which is to occur April 26-27 at the Arab World Institute in Paris. The Ambassador also invited his Danish counterpart to attend a G-8 Ambassadors lunch February 8 to discuss how best to engage the GOE on the issue. The Dane and other Europeans expressed apprehension over how the issue had been handled by their governments and did not understand how the situation had become so inflamed. The European Ambassadors conveyed that Aboul Gheit, in a high-handed and emotional manner, had made matters worse in their dealings with him, as had the Egyptian Ambassador in Copenhagen. ¶3. (C) A senior MFA official suggested February 8 that the crisis would not subside until the Danish Government issued a formal statement similar to White House statements, including reference to respect for religious beliefs. In other conversations with MFA diplomats, poloff heard praise for the USG's handling of the controversy, reminiscent of President Bush's steps to reassure Muslims in the tense aftermath of September 11. MFA diplomats suggested the U.S. could make further positive impressions in the Islamic world by calling for additional interfaith dialogue and reconciliation, or by hosting a high-level event focused on this topic. The GOE response to the cartoons, they admitted, had been an activist one within the OIC and in the region over the past months. The reason, they said, was because Egypt is the home of Al Azhar and because Egypt wanted to defend Islamic dignity in the face of a perceived "European unity" in defending the Danes over publication of the cartoons. As a further result of GOE activism, the Saudis felt compelled to press even further, in a "competitive reaction" to Egypt's efforts - given the Kingdom's role as home to Islam's holiest sites. RICCIARDONE