Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KUWAIT3387
2006-08-21 11:21:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:
KUWAITI COMMENTATORS CONDEMN "ISLAMIC FASCIST"
how-toVZCZCXYZ0005 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHKU #3387 2331121 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 211121Z AUG 06 FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6361 INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 003387
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2007
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER KISL KU
SUBJECT: KUWAITI COMMENTATORS CONDEMN "ISLAMIC FASCIST"
DESCRIPTION
REF: RIYADH 06571
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 003387
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2007
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER KISL KU
SUBJECT: KUWAITI COMMENTATORS CONDEMN "ISLAMIC FASCIST"
DESCRIPTION
REF: RIYADH 06571
1. (U) A number of Kuwaiti media figures broadly criticized
President Bush's use of the phrase "Islamic fascists." They
contended that the characterization was aimed at all Muslims
rather than a small segment of the population. A few
examples from the Kuwaiti op-ed pages:
- "I was not surprised by the remarks of U.S. President
George W. Bush recently when he gave a new name to Muslims:
'Fascist Muslims.'"
- "to associate all terror groups with Muslims and Islam,
just as U.S. President George W. Bush did when he used the
term 'Muslim fascists,' is absolutely unacceptable and
intolerable."
- "he (has) always attacked Muslims since the September 11
attack and he always connects Islam and terrorism."
2. (U) Criticism came not only from opinion page
contributors but also from more moderate voices such as the
chairman of a major Kuwaiti business group Nasser Mohammed
Al-Khorafi who said: "We, along with other people in the
whole world, are standing united with your rejection of
fascism but the grim picture of the Lebanese victims who died
due to the Israeli aggression on Lebanon are showing
us...there is a misunderstanding on who should be accused of
fascism."
3. (C/NF) Comment: There were no instances of any
recognition in media reports that the characterization
'Islamic fascists' was aimed only at a small portion of the
population or that the characterization might accurately
describe the attributes of an extreme element within the
Islamic community. The near unanimous public interpretation
of President Bush's identification of the "Islamic fascist"
enemy was that the enemy was Islam and Muslims as a whole,
not a small extreme segment of the population. Just as there
is a belief in some non-Muslim quarters that Islam is bent on
domination, there is a strong belief among Muslims that Islam
is under seige by "the West," thus the sensitivity to
labeling and real or perceived mis-characterizations of their
religion. End Comment.
LeBaron
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2007
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER KISL KU
SUBJECT: KUWAITI COMMENTATORS CONDEMN "ISLAMIC FASCIST"
DESCRIPTION
REF: RIYADH 06571
1. (U) A number of Kuwaiti media figures broadly criticized
President Bush's use of the phrase "Islamic fascists." They
contended that the characterization was aimed at all Muslims
rather than a small segment of the population. A few
examples from the Kuwaiti op-ed pages:
- "I was not surprised by the remarks of U.S. President
George W. Bush recently when he gave a new name to Muslims:
'Fascist Muslims.'"
- "to associate all terror groups with Muslims and Islam,
just as U.S. President George W. Bush did when he used the
term 'Muslim fascists,' is absolutely unacceptable and
intolerable."
- "he (has) always attacked Muslims since the September 11
attack and he always connects Islam and terrorism."
2. (U) Criticism came not only from opinion page
contributors but also from more moderate voices such as the
chairman of a major Kuwaiti business group Nasser Mohammed
Al-Khorafi who said: "We, along with other people in the
whole world, are standing united with your rejection of
fascism but the grim picture of the Lebanese victims who died
due to the Israeli aggression on Lebanon are showing
us...there is a misunderstanding on who should be accused of
fascism."
3. (C/NF) Comment: There were no instances of any
recognition in media reports that the characterization
'Islamic fascists' was aimed only at a small portion of the
population or that the characterization might accurately
describe the attributes of an extreme element within the
Islamic community. The near unanimous public interpretation
of President Bush's identification of the "Islamic fascist"
enemy was that the enemy was Islam and Muslims as a whole,
not a small extreme segment of the population. Just as there
is a belief in some non-Muslim quarters that Islam is bent on
domination, there is a strong belief among Muslims that Islam
is under seige by "the West," thus the sensitivity to
labeling and real or perceived mis-characterizations of their
religion. End Comment.
LeBaron