TAJIKISTAN'S ISLAMIC PARTY CONDEMNS ISRAELI ATTACKS

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 001588 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN NSC FOR MERKEL E.O. 12958: DECL: 8/18/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL KISL TI SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN'S ISLAMIC PARTY CONDEMNS ISRAELI ATTACKS REF: DUSHANBE 1557 CLASSIFIED BY: Tom Hushek, Charge d'Affaires, U.S. Embassy, Dushanbe, State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (SBU) At an internal party meeting August 16, several Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan members spoke out strongly against Israel's strikes in Lebanon and Palestine and criticized the U.S. response. Since the beginning of the recent Lebanon-Israeli conflict, the IRPT criticized Israel through the press. The party petitioned the government for permission to hold a public rally against the Israeli action. The Tajik government, which never permits any group to demonstrate publicly, rejected the application. Instead, about 500 people, the majority IRPT members, gathered indoors at the party's headquarters to show solidarity for the Lebanese and Palestinian people. The public was not invited, with the exception of a few journalists. A local Embassy staff member observed the meeting, although his presence and Embassy affiliation was noted. ¶2. (SBU) Five IRPT officials gave speeches, including the party's acting Chairman, Muhiddin Kabiri, which criticized the United States, United Kingdom and Arabic governments for failing to stop the attacks and save the lives hundred of innocent civilians. Speakers took great care to point out they were not denouncing the people of the United States, Britain or Arabs, but criticizing the governments' policies and consider the governments guilty. Muhiddin Kabiri also thanked the Tajik government for expressing timely support for Palestinians and Lebanese. ¶3. (SBU) At the meeting's conclusion, the party adopted a resolution demanding that the United Nations and international community: -- Ensure the ceasefire is upheld in practice; -- Restore and maintain peace in Palestine and Lebanon; -- Institute criminal cases against Israel's military crimes; -- Condemn state terrorism; -- Demand Israel compensate for material and human loss; and -- Provide the Palestinian and Lebanese people the right to establish an independent state ¶4. (C) COMMENT: The government of Tajikistan has also made public statements against Israel's attacks and Foreign Minister Nazarov himself criticized Israel's recent actions (reftel). However, such statements and the IRPT meeting should not be viewed as anti-Semitic or a rally of popular support for Muslims to unite against Jews and their supporters. The atmosphere of the meeting was not hostile or intimidating and the IRPT made an effort to distinguish between a state's policies and military action and a nation's people. ¶5. (C) COMMENT CONT: The size and subject of the event itself was significant, because Tajiks have been very reluctant to demonstrate politically since the Civil War, which many feel started due to rival pro-and anti-government demonstrations in ¶1992. Foreign Minister Nazarov mentioned the gathering in an August 18 meeting with Deputy Assistant Secretary Feigenbaum (septel),and cautioned that political protests could only lead to trouble and instability. The fact that 500 Tajiks felt strongly enough about the conflict in the Middle East to attend a political meeting suggests that public opinion about the situation runs very deep. The Tajikistan government may feel emboldened to criticize further Israeli actions. END COMMENT. HUSHEK