Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DUBAI730
2006-02-14 14:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Dubai
Cable title:  

IN IRAN, CARTOON CONTROVERSY SIMMERS BUT DOESN'T BOIL OVER

Tags:  IR PGOV PREL SCUL SOCI 
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VZCZCXRO6554
PP RUEHBC RUEHKUK RUEHMOS
DE RUEHDE #0730/01 0451405
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 141405Z FEB 06
FM AMCONSUL DUBAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8332
INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR PRIORITY 0002
RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 1246
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DUBAI 000730 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/14/2016
TAGS: IR PGOV PREL SCUL SOCI
SUBJECT: IN IRAN, CARTOON CONTROVERSY SIMMERS BUT DOESN'T BOIL OVER

REF: KUALA LUMPUR 0242

DUBAI 00000730 001.2 OF 003


CLASSIFIED BY: Jason L. Davis, Consul General, Dubai, UAE.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)



C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DUBAI 000730

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/14/2016
TAGS: IR PGOV PREL SCUL SOCI
SUBJECT: IN IRAN, CARTOON CONTROVERSY SIMMERS BUT DOESN'T BOIL OVER

REF: KUALA LUMPUR 0242

DUBAI 00000730 001.2 OF 003


CLASSIFIED BY: Jason L. Davis, Consul General, Dubai, UAE.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (U) Summary: In response to the publishing of "blasphemous"
cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in a number of European
newspapers, Tehran has recalled its ambassador to Denmark and
announced a cut in all trade ties with the country. Denmark
pulled its diplomats out of Iran due to unspecified threats.
Since February 6, Iranians have marched on several European
embassies. For the most part, Iranian police have held back
demonstrators and prevented them from doing significant damage
to any of the embassies. Religious and government officials
called upon Iranians to not attack embassies, and urged
diplomatic solutions to the situation, as well as apologies from
governments of countries where the cartoons appeared. Iran
appears to be using the controversy to further its own
interests. End Summary.

Official Repercussions
--------------


2. (U) According to Western press reports, Tehran reacted to the
cartoon controversy last week by summoning the ambassadors of
Denmark, Norway and Austria to express its anger, recalling its
ambassador to Denmark, and cutting all trade ties with the
country. Iran's Commerce Minister stated that this ban covered
all Danish imports as well as all other business dealings. Iran
currently imports 290 million USD worth of goods annually from
Denmark. According to Norwegian press, Iran's embassy in Oslo
commented that as a result of Norway's "suitable behavior" -
read apology - over the cartoons, Tehran planned no boycott
against it. Due to subsequent publication of the cartoons in
newspapers in Poland and the Czech Republic, the ambassadors of
these two countries were summoned to Iran's Ministry of Foreign
Affairs on 12 February.


3. (SBU) According to reports in the Iranian press, Denmark has
"temporarily" withdrawn its diplomats from Iran. A statement by
the Danish Foreign Ministry stated that the ambassador and staff
had left Iran due to "information about serious, concrete

threats against the ambassador." Post tried unsuccessfully to
corroborate this information with the Danish consulate in Dubai.

Popular Reaction
--------------


4. (U) Since Monday, February 6, large groups of Iranians have
marched on European embassies to protest the publishing of
"blasphemous" cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Protests in Iran
broke out two days after the violent protests in Damascus that
resulted in the burning of the Norwegian and Danish embassies.
Although these protests have been angry, police have for the
most part been successful in holding the protestors back and
preventing the torching of embassies as occurred in both Beirut
and Damascus:

-- February 6, a group of 400 demonstrators surrounded the
Danish Embassy. They burned Danish flags and shouted "Death to
Denmark." According to the BBC, the Embassy gate and two trees
caught fire before police forced protestors back with tear gas
and made some arrests.

--The same day, protestors marched on the Austrian Embassy,
apparently breaking windows and starting small fires.

-- February 7, 100 protestors converged on the Norwegian
Embassy. According to Norwegian press, they threw stones and
"fire bombs", but were quickly driven back by Iranian police who
surrounded the building and prevented them from gaining access
to the building.

-- February 8, 200 demonstrators marched on the British Embassy,
but police barred them from entering the building, according to
the BBC.

-- February 10, protestors gathered outside the French Embassy
and shouted slogans against the U.S., France, Britain, and
Denmark, according to Iranian press.

-- February 11, an unspecified number of Iranians gathered in
front of the British Embassy in the afternoon and shouted
slogans against the cartoons. A special police unit had been
stationed around the Embassy for several hours and prevented the
crowd from getting close to the embassy building, according to
Iran's state news agency.

-- February 11, participants in rallies to celebrate the

DUBAI 00000730 002.2 OF 003


anniversary of the Islamic revolution condemned the cartoons,
chanted anti-U.S., Danish, British, and Israeli slogans, and
called for a boycott of Western products, especially those of
the U.S. and Denmark.

-- February 12, Iranians once again protested outside the French
Embassy and termed the publication of the cartoons a
"sacrilegious gesture" designed by Zionists.

Iranian Officials Send Mixed Messages
--------------


5. (U) According to the Iranian press, the substitute Friday
prayer leader for Tehran told Iranians on February 10 to
continue to show their anger over the cartoons. He advised
protestors, however, to refrain from attacking embassies, as
this would only give Western powers a "pretext" to proclaim
"their innocence worldwide." He stated, "They should be
deprived of this pretext, but undoubtedly, your anger and
resentment should continue until their complete repentance." An
unidentified cleric who participated in the protest at the
French Embassy on February 10 was quoted in the Iranian press
saying that the current crisis would not die down until the
relevant governments apologized.


6. (U) According to other Iranian reports, Iran's Foreign
Minister Mottaki has discussed the cartoon controversy with the
Foreign Ministers of several countries, including Norway, Spain,
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Syria, Malaysia, and Yemen, and urged his
European counterparts to do their utmost to defuse the
situation. Tehran also requested that Malaysia, as head of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC),call an emergency
session of the body to discuss the global protests in response
to the cartoons and the impact of the situation on Islamic
countries (reftel). Mottaki stated that legal prosecution and an
apology from the Danish government will help restore calm.


7. (U) While attending a conference in Malaysia (reftel),Iran's
former President Khatami echoed Mottaki's statements, stating
that "those who have insulted (the) Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) must
apologize for their shameful act." (Note: Khatami gave the
keynote speech at the conference, which was aptly titled "Who
Speaks for Islam? Who Speaks for the West?" End Note.)

Key Leaders Link Cartoon Controversy to the Holocaust
-------------- --------------


8. (U) Both Supreme Leader Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad
have repeatedly complained about a Western "double-standard" in
regards to free speech. During a speech to a gathering of air
force commanders and personnel, Khamenei stated, "In accordance
with this freedom of speech, denial of the holocaust has been
banned, but sacrilege against the sanctities of 1.5 billion
Muslims has been allowed." He termed the cartoon controversy a
"Zionist plot meant to pit Muslims and Christians against each
other," but noted that the "sacred fury" of Muslims was not
directed at Christians, but at the "vicious plotters of the
conspiracy."


9. (U) During speeches to commemorate the 27th anniversary of
the Islamic revolution February 11, Ahmadinejad accused European
countries of being puppets of the Israelis for publishing the
cartoons. He stated, "They say that their countries are free,
but they are lying. They are held hostage by Zionists. . . How
come insults are free in your country, but any research on the
Holocaust is a crime?"


10. (U) In response to the cartoons' publication, the
conservative Iranian daily Hamshahri, which is run by Tehran's
city council, announced it is sponsoring a cartoon contest about
the Holocaust. The paper's graphics editor stated, "The Western
papers printed these sacrilegious cartoons on the pretext of
freedom of expression, so let's see if they mean what they say
and also print these Holocaust cartoons."

Another Cartoon Controversy
--------------


11. (U) In a related story, Iran demanded an apology from the
German newspaper that printed a cartoon February 10, depicting
the Iranian national soccer team in a World Cup stadium with
bombs strapped to their jerseys, with German soldiers standing
by and a caption saying, "This is why the German army has to be
deployed at the World Cup stadiums." According to Iranian
press, the artist expressed regret to the Iranian people and
claimed he was trying to protest the absurdity of positioning
soldiers at the World Cup games.

Comment
--------------

DUBAI 00000730 003.2 OF 003




12. (C) Many Western analysts see the linking of the cartoons
and the Holocaust as the Iranian government's attempt to
increase tension and "up the ante" in the current situation,
especially in light of Ahmadinejad's anti-Israel comments in the
fall. Thus far, Dubai's Iranian visa applicants have been quiet
on the controversy. Iran likely sees in the controversy a chance
to assert its leadership in the Muslim world, much as it did in
1989 when -- after initial reticence -- it took the hardest line
of any Islamic country against British author Salman Rushdie for
his book, "The Satanic Verses," issuing a fatwa that called for
his murder. It is also likely trying to deflect world attention
from its nuclear situation and put Europe on the defensive at a
time when the U.S. is looking to Europe to continue to toughen
its stand on the nuclear issue.


13. (C) One Iranian wealthy businessman contact argued that the
cartoon controversy actually gave an advantage to the U.S. He
claimed that none of the protests were directed against the U.S.
(which would appear to be overstating the situation). With
Iranian-European relations at a low-point, he said, Iran would
have little choice but to deal in a more direct way with the
U.S. That interpretation notwithstanding, President Ahmadinejad
appears to feel strengthened by the controversy. In a February
12 interview with a U.S. reporter, President Ahmadinejad
criticized the U.S. for giving "support" to those who published
the cartoons, and he put the onus on the USG to change its
attitude toward Iran before negotiations would be possible.
DAVIS