KUWAIT HOSTS ISLAM MODERATION CONFERENCE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000806

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD (CWHITTLESEY)
LONDON FOR TSOU
PARIS FOR ZEYA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PTER KPAO SCUL KISL XF KU
SUBJECT: KUWAIT HOSTS ISLAM MODERATION CONFERENCE

Ref: A) Kuwait 475

B) 05 Kuwait 5283


1. Summary: Kuwait's Ministry of Awqaf [endowments] and Islamic
Affairs hosted a conference, "We and the Other," on March 6-8, 2006
to emphasize tolerance and to discourage extremism. During the
opening session, Kuwait's Islamic Affairs Minister said that the
true nature of Islam is one of moderation. The highest-profile
speaker, Shaykh Tantawi of the Al-Azhar university in Cairo, called
dialogue and mutual understanding a cornerstone of the Islamic
faith. This conference was the latest effort undertaken by the GOK,
in part through the Islamic Affairs Ministry and the "High Committee
for the Enforcement of Moderation," to confront extremism and
encourage moderation in Kuwaiti society. Ambassador LeBaron
attended the opening session. End Summary.


2. As part of Kuwait's strategy to combat extremism and to
reinforce moderation in its population, the Ministry of Awqaf
[endowments] and Islamic Affairs hosted a three-day conference, "We
and the Other," March 6-8. The conference brought together
international Islamic religious leaders to discuss the need to
reinforce tolerance as an Islamic precept and the importance of
inter-faith dialogue. The highest profile speaker was the Shaykh of
Cairo's Al-Azhar university, Shaykh Mohammed Sayed Tantawi. In
addition to Islamic leaders, Ambassador LeBaron, the Cultural
Affairs Officer, the Information Specialist and other members of the
diplomatic corps attended the opening session of the conference.


3. The GOK's efforts to encourage moderation support Embassy MPP
counterterrorism goals and efforts to promote further
democratization. The conference organizers outlined four goals for
the gathering, to:
a. find common ground in the creed, ethics, and culture and reach a
shared consensus on these values;
b. encourage and enrich a culture of dialogue based on respect for
others, and openness to differences in opinion;
c. reconfirm moderate Islamic values, and expand their application
to education; and
d. find common values with others that deepen and strengthen shared
economic and social ties with the rest of the world.

Islamic Affairs Minister: Islam is for Moderation
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4. Opening the conference, Dr. Abdullah Al-Maatouq, Kuwait's
Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, who was recently also
appointed as Minister of Justice (ref A),stressed that the
conference aimed to demonstrate that Islam is a moderate and
tolerant faith. He argued that the conference would help portray
the true image of Islam as a faith of moderation. He also hoped the
conference would change public opinion about the relationship among
people from different religions, from a perception of strife between
cultures to cooperation and mutual action between cultures. He
said, "Islam tells us that co-existence between peoples is based on
mutual understanding and always seeks common denominators with the
other."

Shaykh Tantawi: Dialogue as a Cornerstone of Faith
-------------- --------------


5. The highest-profile speaker, Shaykh Tantawi of Al-Azhar in
Cairo, stressed that Islam, the Qur'an and Sunnah (actions of the
Prophet Muhammad) provide clear examples of how to deal with "the
other," that there is no compulsion in religion (quoting the
Qur'an),and that "dialogue is a cornerstone in our faith as the
Almighty used dialog even with Satan himself." He also pointed out
that "the other" could include non-Muslims as well as Muslims with
deviant views. Shaykh Tantawi underlined the necessity of dialogue
and mutual understanding between cultures, using the Quranic
explanation of the reason that God created nations: "so that they
may know one another."


6. Other conference speakers included the representative of the
Islamic Organization for Education, Science and Culture (ISISCO),
Dr. Abdelaziz Al-Jarallah; conservative member of the Kuwaiti
Parliament, Dr. Waleed Al-Tabtabaei; Egyptian Mufti Ali Jumu'ah; and
Sudanese Awqaf Minister Esam Al-Bashir. Non-Muslim speakers
included Kuwaiti Bishop Amanuel Ghareeb and German professor Meklosh
Morany. Some of the Muslim speakers criticized the West for not
respecting the faith and culture of Muslims, citing the Danish
cartoons as an example.


7. After meeting with conference participants, Amir Shaykh Sabah
Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah told local reporters, "Islam is a religion of
peace and Muslims should adhere to moderation."

Kuwait's Efforts at Confronting Extremism
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8. The "We and the Other" conference is part of Kuwait's long-term
strategy of confronting Islamic extremism. The conference, under
the patronage of Prime Minister Shaykh Nasser Mohammed Al-Sabah, was
co-sponsored by the Islamic Affairs Ministry and by the
government-established "High Committee to Enforce Moderation." As
part of an ongoing effort to strengthen mutual understanding by
targeting Islamic and non-Islamic audiences, the Ministry of Awqaf
and Islamic Affairs is producing a documentary film on the biography
of the Prophet Mohammed for western audiences. EmbOffs are
scheduled to attend a screening of the film, a work-in-progress, on
March 22.

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For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s

Visit Kuwait's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/

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LEBARON