MOSQUE SERMONS FOR SAUDI ARABIA, SEPTEMBER 29:

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000664 SIPDIS SIPDIS PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP; PARIS FOR WALLER; LONDON FOR TSOU E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/16/2016 TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL KISL SA SCUL SUBJECT: MOSQUE SERMONS FOR SAUDI ARABIA, SEPTEMBER 29: MECCA, MEDINA, AL-KHOBAR Classified By: Acting Consul General CB Toney, for reasons 1.4 (c) and (d). -------------- -------------- MECCA: MUSLIMS SHOULD DETERMINE THEIR OWN DESTINIES -------------- -------------- ¶1. (C) Shaykh Abd-al-Rahman al-Sudays delivered the sermon at the Grand Mosque in Mecca on September 29. The sermon largely dealt with the significance of Ramadan for piety and purification of the soul. The imam added that Ramadan has come "while our nation is unaware of the plotting and challenges posed by the enemies, who tell lies against the prophet." The imam exhorts Muslims to determine their own destinies "with pride and bravery, especially the Palestine question, by standing firmly against the continuation of the sinful Zionist aggression against the blessed land of Palestine; achieve security and unity in the land of the two rivers (Iraq); carry out reconstruction in Lebanon; and defend the issues of our brethren who are oppressed in their religion everywhere. We shall return the Islamic nation to its past glory, loftiness, and leadership." -------------- SATELLITE MEDIA SPREADING VICE DURING RAMADAN -------------- ¶2. (C) In the second sermon, the imam criticized what he termed "dissolute space channels that have chosen to violate virtues and spread vice in the month of Ramadan." He appealed to the media industry to conclude a "professional code of honor" that upholds principles and values. The imam also called for the confrontation of "biased media campaigns against Islam and its prophet and its book, countries, and personalities." -------------- -- PARENTS MUST INSTILL ISLAMIC VIRTUES AND MORALS -------------- -- ¶3. (C) The imam called on parents to protect their children against "subversive ideologies and bad manners, instill in their hearts religious virtues and Islamic morals, and stop them from spending their time in the streets and malls or in front of the television sets." -------------- -------------- PRAYER TO MAKE OPPONENTS OF ISLAM "BOOTY FOR MUSLIMS" -------------- -------------- ¶4. The sermon concluded with prayers, "O Allah, support our brother Muslims who are oppressed in their religion everywhere...support them in Palestine against the occupier, usurper, and aggressor Jews...maintain security and stability in the land of the two rivers and all Muslim lands...deal with your enemies, the enemies of religion...disperse their assemblies and make a lesson for others and booty for Muslims." -------------- - MEDINA: 27TH DAY OF RAMADAN IS NIGHT OF POWER -------------- - ¶5. (C) Shaykh Abd-al-Bari bin-Awad al-Thubayti delivered the sermon at the Mosque in Medina on September 29. The sermon dealt mainly with Ramadan and its numerous blessings. The imam spoke of the Night of Power (Laylat al-Qadr),which, according to religious sources, falls on or about the 27th of Ramadan and is when God answers all prayers. -------------- FASTING IN RAMADAN PARDONS ALL SIN -------------- ¶6. (C) In the second sermon, the imam cited a tradition by the prophet that says that whoever fasts during Ramadan will have all his sins forgiven. He concluded with a prayer, "O Allah, humble the infidels...deal with the enemies of Islam and Muslims...defend the sanctity of your beloved messenger...whoever does him harm busy him with himself, make fate turn against him, and make him a lesson for the JEDDAH 00000664 002 OF 002 world...support the sunnah of the lord of the prophets everywhere...spread the light of his history in all countries of the world." -------------- AL-KHOBAR: UNHOLY ALLIANCE BETWEEN POPE AND WHITE HOUSE -------------- ¶7. (C) Shaykh al-Qahtani, the usual imam, is back and delivered the sermon at the Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal Mosque in al-Khobar on September 29. The first part of the sermon was political in nature and the second purely religious. The imam first spoke of the pope,s "unprovoked attack on Islam." He said that the "papal attack has now given the other pope, the one in the White House, the green light first to legitimize his own attacks - past and present - on Islam and second, to justify his so-called war on terror and the war in Iraq and Afghanistan." ¶8. (C) Al-Qahtani spoke of this "unholy alliance," saying it has been set up solely to "combat Islam." Speaking of other members in the "alliance," he referred to the "bishops," who "simply toe the line with no questions asked." (Note: One may assume that the "bishops" are the heads of government in London and other American allies. End Note.) The imam suggested that the Pope has "played into the hands of George Bush and the Christian Right, whose objective is the total destruction of the Muslim faith." -------------- ACT AS IF THIS IS THE LAST RAMADAN -------------- ¶9. (C) In his second sermon, al-Qahtani asked the congregation to ask themselves how they would act and think if this were their last Ramadan. He suggested that all would be much kinder and more obedient to Allah. TONEY