MOSQUE SERMONS FOR SAUDI ARABIA JUNE 9: AL-KHOBAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000412

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2016
TAGS: KISL PGOV PREL SA SCUL
SUBJECT: MOSQUE SERMONS FOR SAUDI ARABIA JUNE 9: AL-KHOBAR
IMAM CLAIMS WESTERN PLOT TO ANNIHILATE ISLAM; SERMON FROM
MECCA REMINDS MUSLIMS TO FEAR GOD; MEDINA SERMON DEVOTED TO
PROPER USE OF LEISURE TIME. IN ASIR, GOVERNMENT WARNS
CLERICS TO AVOID POLITICAL SERMONS.

REF: 05 JEDDAH 5022

Classified By: Acting Consul General Hector Morales, for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

FROM EASTERN PROVINCE: IMAM CRITICIZES UNITED STATES AND
ALLIES ATTACKS ON SHARI'AH


1. (C) This week, Shaikh Mohammad al-Qahtani devoted his
sermon at the Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal Mosque in al-Khobar to a
wide-ranging attack on the United States and its Western
cohorts for their efforts to destroy Islam. The sermon began
with a resum of the Danish Cartoon controversy and his
charge that this represented part of America's and its
Western allies "war of annihilation" against Islam. He
alleged that the U.S. and its allies seek to undermine Islam
by constantly attacking the foundations of Islamic law and
jurisprudence, the Shari'ah. He claimed that most of these
attacks are not as public as the Danish Cartoons but are
equally dangerous. "America and the West," asserted the
imam, continue to pressure countries that have constitutions
wholly or in part based on the Shari'ah to 'amend' sections
that America views as unacceptable by its standards. If this
is not enough," he continued, "there are some Arab countries
actively working to help America reach its goal."

IMAM CHARGES THAT AMERICA ONLY SUPPORTS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOR
NON-MUSLIMS


2. (C) The imam informed his congregation that "One change
America would like to see is the issue of religious freedom.
America wants laws that will afford protection to people who
convert to other religions. True enough. The only problem,"
insisted the imam, "is America wants this protection to work
one way: protection for people who leave Islam and convert
to another religion, like Afghanistan's Abd al-Rahman Abd
al-Manan. America has done everything it can to make this
possible and to stop the spread of Islam. It has shut down
Muslim charities, Quranic learning institutions, schools,
non-profit organizations, social centers, financial
institutions, businesses, private donation drives, others
that provide aid, food and medicine to needy people and
countries. On the other hand, America has pressured Arab
countries to allow Christian organizations to work and expand
in Muslim countries."

IMAM CITES CASES OF AFGHAN APOSTATE AND COPTIC CONVERT


3. (C) The imam illustrated his charge using the case of the
Afghan and another case he said occurred in Egypt. "This is
what happened with the Christian convert Abd al-Rahman." He
described the support and assistance provided to Abd
al-Rahman by President Bush, Secretary Rice, and particularly
noted the intervention of Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi
and the Pope. He also identified by name the Washington Post
and New York Times and read their commentaries on the case.
"Abd al-Rahman," according to al-Qahtani, "was a pawn the
West has used to chip away at Islam" and insisted that the
West "has come out victorious because the Arabs offered
little or no resistance." The imam compared the Afghan
affair to that of a Coptic woman in Egypt who had converted
to Islam. Al-Qahtani claimed that President Bush and
Secretary Rice remained silent while she was forcibly

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returned to her church and forced to renounce her new faith.
The imam questioned America's credibility when it calls Arab
and Muslim countries to grant legal protection, democratic
rights and freedom of religion to all people, "meaning
Muslims who convert to other faiths, but does the exact
opposite when the shoe is on the other foot." Pointing
explicitly at Egypt, al-Qahtani criticized the country for
signing an agreement that permits Christian organizations to
establish a presence in the country, "which is 90% Muslim in
order to try to win as many new converts as possible in the
name of 'freedom of religion.'"

FROM MECCA: IMAM WARNS FLOCK TO FEAR GOD

4, (U) On June 9, Shaykh Usamah bin-Abdallah Khayyat, imam
at the Grand Mosque in Mecca admonished his listeners to

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SUBJECT: MOSQUE SERMONS FOR SAUDI ARABIA JUNE 9: AL-KHOBAR
IMAM CLAIMS WESTERN PLOT TO ANNIHILATE ISLAM; SERMON FROM
MECCA REMINDS MUSLIMS TO FEAR GOD; MEDINA SERMON DEVOTED TO
PROPER USE OF LEISURE TIME. IN ASIR, GOVERNMENT WARNS
CLERICS TO AVOID POLITICAL SERMONS.

"fear none but Allah." He said the trials and tribulations
of life should not cause Muslims to forget their faith or
fear anything but God. His second sermon repeated this
theme. The concluding prayer contained the usual plea for
God to support Islam and destroy its enemies. It also asked
success for the King and Crown Prince in promoting the
well-being of the country and people.

FROM MEDINA: IMAM COMMENTS ON PROPER FORMS OF LEISURE AND
RECREATION


5. (U) School having ended the preceding Wednesday and Saudi
families now embarking on their summer vacations, Imam Shaykh
Abd-al-Bari Bin-Awad al-Thubayti, at the Prophet's Mosque in
Medina, devoted his sermons to the timely issue of
permissible uses of leisure time. The imam observed that
"leisure time renews the worker's activity and movement,
clears his mind, and protects his body from sluggishness and
dullness." He cited the Prophet's statements supporting the
importance of leisure time. However, he cautioned the
congregation that "Leisure time is that which there isn't a
woman undressing, an incest being excited, or a tendency to
evil being inflamed." He warned youths against spending
leisure time in corrupt ways, such as taking narcotics. He
counseled that "a Muslim does not go beyond a limit in
pursuit of new vistas of recreation." He recommended that
families "prepare programs and places for the benefit of your
child to remove boredom and protect your son from utter loss.
(Note: Apparently girls aren't subject to the same
temptations as boys. End note.) Leisure time must be used
to befriend the righteous, read a good book and do work that
protects the future and honor."


6. (U) Al-Thubayti's sermon ended with a prayer for God to
"support Islam and Muslims and humble non-believers,...
preserve our Muslim brethren in Palestine... and Iraq,...and
protect them from every evil and make the plots of their
enemies turn against them."

IN ABHA, GOVERNMENT WARNS IMAMS AGAINST POLITICALLY-CHARGED
SERMONS


7. (U) In a related development, on June 12, the
English-language newspaper the "Arab News" reported on a
meeting between government officials and 300 imams in Asir
Governate, which is located in south-western Saudi Arabia,
north of the Yemen border (reftel). The conclave was
described as the first of its kind sponsored by the Ministry
of Islamic Affairs in an effort to promote moderation and
restrain deviant imams. The governor of Asir, Prince Khaled
al-Faisal (reftel) exhorted the imams to expose deviants who
try to undermine the Kingdom's stability and destroy its
achievements. He told the assembled clerics: "You should
try to spread love, peace and patriotism among the people and
encourage them to participate in the development process and
protect the country's security and stability." The Prince
described the government's program to establish mosques and
promote the welfare of Islamic scholars and imams (prayer
leaders) and khateebs (imams who deliver the Friday sermon at
mosques). He warned them to avoid using mosques to deliver
political sermons.

GOVERNMENT WATCHING MOSQUES IN EFFORT TO PROMOTE MODERATION
AND TOLERANCE


8. (U) The article further relates that the Director General
of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs office in Asir, Dr.
Abdullah Al-Humaid, said that the ministry had fired almost
200 imams last year for failing to follow government
guidelines. The doctor is quoted as saying that "We have
deployed a number of supervisors to monitor the performance
of imams and khateebs, especially the sermons they give on
Fridays and the speeches they deliver after prayers." As
background, the article reports that there are about 70,000
mosques in the Kingdom, of which approximately 15,000 hold
Friday prayer services. The ministry's guidelines are
formulated by "a panel of prominent Islamic scholars."
Morales