MOSQUE SERMONS FROM SAUDI ARABIA - APRIL 21, 2006

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000320

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SUBJECT: MOSQUE SERMONS FROM SAUDI ARABIA - APRIL 21, 2006

Classified By: Management Officer Hector Morales for reasons
1.4(b) and (d)

FROM THE EASTERN PROVINCE -- THE ENEMIES OF ISLAM: AMERICA
AND "ENEMIES WITHIN"


1. (C) On Friday, April 21, at the Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal
Mosque in Khobar, Imam Shaykh al-Qahtani reprised one of his
greatest hits, a brazen political sermon delivered a few
years ago which, while conceding that the United States and
the West are enemies of Islam, stressed the greater danger of
"enemies within," fellow Muslims who form a fifth column
rather than acting as faithful followers of God's religion.
Al-Qahtani accused Arab leaders of seeking only to please
their Western masters, and the West of intimidating them into
doing its bidding. An Arab leader "will throw people in jail
under the pretext that they are extremists who must be dealt
with, or he will kill others because of their alleged links
to terrorism, or even shut down a charity because it was used
to fund terrorist operations," he said. "This is the way to
make sure the red carpet will be rolled out for him."
America, in turn, uses scare tactics to coerce Arab leaders
into "combating Muslim expansion or anything that smells like
it." "What do you expect," al-Qahtani asked, "of a leader who
is repeatedly told that his end will be in the hands of
Muslim extremists?" Yet America will not succeed, he
predicted. As the 19th century belonged to the Christians and
the 20th to the Jews, it is God's will that "the 21st century
will belong to Islam and Islam only." "Istanbul and Rome will
be the key to the re-introduction of Islam to Europe," he
said. "Their fall will herald its return to that continent."

FROM MECCA -- FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IS THE DOOR TO REFORM;
PRAYER FOR GOD TO DEAL WITH "OCCUPIER ZIONIST JEWS"


2. (U) Speaking at the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, Imam
Shaykh Salih bin Abdullah bin Humayd devoted his sermon to
freedom of expression and reform. He began by saying that
freedom of expression, or dialogue, is the door to reform.
"People exchange talk for the sake of construction and mutual
understanding and not for confrontation and clashing," he
said. Dialogue is "the pillar of education" and "the key to
reasoning," and it enables construction, change, and reform.
Therefore, he said, "It must have its freedom." However,
"freedom is a responsbility, and the aim is reform and
construction ad not destruction o corruption." Accordingly,
"here must be rules for this freedom, and standardsfor this
responsibility." He continued, "What mus be observed in the
rules of freedom of expression and freedom of the word is
sincerity, search for the truth, and avoidance of the
tendency to follow one's whims and to use the word for
personal triumph or fanaticism for a group, a sect, or an
idea." Moreover, "it is essential to side with the truth and
to accept it from whatever side."


3. (U) The imam's second sermon carried the same theme.
"The word of truth and justice is desirable and
praiseworthy," he said, "and the word of falsehood is
forbidden and condemned." The imam prayed for God to "support
the mujahidin who struggle in your cause to elevate your
word." Praying for God to support Islam and the Muslim
people, he concluded, "The occupier Zionist Jews have
tyrannized, harmed, corrupted, destroyed, killed, and
evicted." He continued, "O God, deal with them for they are
within your power."

FROM MEDINA -- AVOIDANCE OF EXTREMISM IN ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE;
PRAYER FOR GOD TO "CLEANSE AL-AQSA MOSQUE FROM THE FILTH OF
THE JEWS"


4. (U) In his sermon at the Mosque of the Prophet in
Medina, Imam Shaykh Salah bin Muhammad al-Budayr said the
Islamic nation has reached its high status because of the
Qur'an, the Sunna, and shari'a, which are against extremism.
Rejecting the idea that moderation means the destruction of
values and the corruption of morals, he said, "Centrism in
Islam is avoidance of extremism on issues of faith, belief,
legislation, politics, peace, war, the call, education,
reform, behavior, and worship, and in fact in all aspects of
life." "Giving free reign to one's desires and rejecting the
shari'a controls, and openness without distinguishing between
what is permissible and what is forbidden and between what is
useful and what is harmful, is not part of the tolerance and

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magnanimity of Islam," he said. On the other hand, "depriving
oneself and society of the good things of life and
permissible enjoyment and the useful innovations of the age
are not part of moderation."


5. (U) The imam again approached the subject of moderate
Islam in his second sermon. He called on God to support Islam
and the Muslim people, while, as in the sermons from Mecca,
praying for God to "deal with the usurper Jews and
treacherous Zionists." He added, "O God, kill them with their
weapons, burn them with their fire, and make them a lesson
for others. O God, cleanse al-Aqsa Mosque from the filth of
the Jews." Concluding his sermon on a more peaceful note, the
imam prayed for unity in Iraq and for security, prosperity,
dignity, and stability in Saudi Arabia, so that its leaders
may serve the might of Islam and the Muslim people.
Gfoeller