TARIQ RAMADAN ENCOURAGES SENEGALESE MUSLIMS TO

UNCLAS DAKAR 002307

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

STATE FOR AF/W, AF/RSA, DRL/AE, AND INR/AA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KISL KDEM PINR SG
SUBJECT: TARIQ RAMADAN ENCOURAGES SENEGALESE MUSLIMS TO
SEEK POWER IN A DEMOCRATIC CONTEXT

SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) Tariq Ramadan, the Islamic scholar of Egyptian
origin, gave a series of conferences to Islamic audiences in
Senegal in August. His talks drew large audiences and
enthusiastic press coverage, focused on his dual messages
encouraging Muslims to take active part in politics but, at
the same time, to do so with a critical, democratic approach.
Ramadan presented his audience with a different and softer
approach to Islam, one in contrast to fundamentalist views
which have, thus far, fallen on largely deaf ears in Senegal.
END SUMMARY.

DRAWING MUSLIMS TO POLITICS AND DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES
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2. (U) Invited by the Association of Muslim Students of
Senegal, Ramadan spoke at their summer camp, the University
of Dakar, and the Islamic Institute of Dakar. He was given a
warm welcome by the press and the Western Islamic elite, as
well as by the traditional Tidiane Brotherhood, the largest
Islamic grouping in Senegal. He urged his audiences to
become politically involved and to identify principles of
democracy that are "trans-historic," or able to endure. He
also said these democratic principles should be applied to a
model constructed to suit Muslim societies and in congruence
with Muslim beliefs and values. He singled out the tenets of
equality of citizens, separation of powers, majority rule,
and accountability as fundamental and universal.

WARNING AGAINST APPLYING ANACHRONISTIC MODELS
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3. (U) Ramadan tempered his message with a warning against
the temptation to apply historic models, such as the system
used by the Prophet Mohammed in Medina in the Seventh
Century. Ramadan said such a system would not allow Muslims
to manage a "neighborhood" in modern societies, let alone an
entire country. He invited Muslims to make a methodological
difference between what belongs to dogma (Ibadat),which can
not be discussed or altered, and what belongs to the realm of
politics and social affairs (Muhamalat) in which Muslims
should exercise creativity and the right to dissent.

CRITICIZING GOS MEASURES, AFRICAN LEADERS, AND US DEMOCRACY
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4. (U) Criticizing GOS arrests of opponents and African
presidents who are "democratically elected for life," he
called for Muslims to be introspective. At the same time, he
asked them to resist cultural alienation and the ideology
spread by "orientalists" in Western academic institutions,
whom he accused of deliberately confusing "reformists" and
"terrorists" and of decreeing that Islam is incompatible with
modern democracy. Ramadan lashed out at what he referred to
as distortions of democracy in the United States, labeling it
a "democracy for the wealthy." He added that Muslims should
resist all forms of manipulation by large corporations and
the media that infiltrate the political process and influence
decisions in non-democratic ways.

COMMENT
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5. (SBU) Ramadan's remarks presented a more approachable
context to the Islamic Brotherhoods and served as an
encouragement to both Islamic elites and traditional Muslim
leaders. He argued that Islam can provide ethics to
supplement what he considers the deficient democratic models
currently in place. The favorable echo received by his
message is an indication of the timid but growing desire
among some of Senegal's younger Muslim leaders to play a
political role to have direct access to power, rather than
remaining simply allies of secular political elites. END
COMMENT.
JACOBS