Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
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06MANAMA236 | 2006-02-19 14:00:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Manama |
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. |
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000236 |
1. (C) The Ambassador called on Islamic Affairs Under Secretary Dr. Fareed Muftah February 7 to discuss cultural SIPDIS exchanges and religious issues in Bahrain. Muftah characterized the October 2005 visit of Georgetown University Chaplain Imam Yahya Hendi as "very effective" in promoting cultural understanding and enrichment. He said Hendi could have been as forward leaning in his public remarks as he was in private meetings. Muftah supported the proposal of a Voluntary Visitors program for 5-8 Bahraini clerics focusing on Islam in the United States. In response to the Ambassador's question, he said that Muslims had overreacted to the Danish cartoons controversy. He called the American position on the issue "honorable." He noted that, in the run up to the final days of the Shia occasion of Ashura, the Ministry was trying to spread tolerance and understanding by arranging programs and contact between Sunni and Shia scholars. End Summary. -------------------------- Supporting Additional Exchange Programs -------------------------- 2. (C) Ministry of Islamic Affairs Under Secretary Dr. Fareed Muftah told the Ambassador in their February 7 meeting that the Ramadan (October 2005) visit of Georgetown University Chaplain Imam Yahya Hendi was very effective in promoting cultural understanding and enrichment. Muftah apologized for the low turnout at some of the public events, saying attracting a large audience during Ramadan can be difficult. He said Hendi could have been as open and direct in his lectures covering interfaith dialogue, Islam in America, and religious tolerance and freedom as he was in private; the people would have been receptive. But overall the trip was very positive and constructive. 3. (C) The Ambassador replied that the United States wants to develop additional means of cooperation on religious affairs between the two countries. He proposed a voluntary visitors program for 5-8 Bahraini Sunni and Shia clerics to visit mosques, Muslim communities, and religious leaders in Washington, DC and other American cities. Muftah agreed this was a very good idea and promised to discuss it with Islamic Affairs Minister (and Deputy PM) Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalid Al Khalifa. (Muftah has since communicated Shaikh Abdulla's approval for the program.) He suggested choosing Imams who would communicate ideas learned in the U.S. to their congregations during Friday prayer sermons. Muftah also requested that additional American scholars visit Bahrain to discuss religious affairs. -------------------------- Overreaction to Cartoon Controversy -------------------------- 4. (C) In response to the Ambassador's question, Muftah said that many Muslims had overreacted to the Danish cartoons controversy, particularly among the ill-informed and uneducated. Muslims' demands that the government and people apologize in addition to the newspaper that published the cartoons go too far and demonstrate that many Muslims are "simple-minded people" who do not understand the difference between independent newspapers and governments. They tend to exaggerate and over-generalize. He noted that the Ministry of Islamic Affairs had issued a public statement saying that it was unacceptable for people to overreact to the controversy. The U.S. position of condemning religious intolerance while supporting freedom of speech was "honorable." 5. (C) Muftah stated that he and other Bahraini religious scholars have stressed in their Friday sermons that Muslims harm their own reputation and image of Prophet Mohammed by wars, bombings, killings, and "what we do to each other." Burning embassies in Beirut and Damascus was "very strange" and completely unacceptable. He recommended an ongoing religious dialogue with the West, and especially the United States, to promote understanding. -------------------------- Inter-Community Contacts During Ashura -------------------------- 6. (C) Turning to events closer to home, Muftah said that the Ministry was trying to spread awareness between Sunnis and Shias in the run up to the occasion of Ashura. (Note: The climax of the Shia holiday took place on February 8 and 9.) The Ministry had arranged for Sunni and Shia scholars to appear together on Bahrain TV programs to discuss coexistence, tolerance, understanding, and respect for others' cultures. He said that audiences were mostly receptive to these messages. Some Sunnis say that Ashura is not their holiday, so they cannot address it. His response is that Imam Hussain (Mohammed's grandson and the leading figure in the Ashura commemoration) is for all Muslims, not only Shia. He can serve to unify Muslims in the face of global challenges. 7. (C) Muftah noted that some Sunni mosques, particularly those following the fundamentalist Salafi interpretation, hold programs to emphasize their Sunni identity during Ashura. To counter these potentially provocative actions, the Ministry promotes engagement between Sunnis and Shias during Islamic occasions. He organized the visits of Sunni scholars to matams (Shia religious community centers) during Ashura to show understanding and to minimize suspicions. Beyond Ashura, the Ministry plans to schedule monthly lectures at the Grand Mosque by Sunni and Shia clerics, both Bahraini and foreign, to promote "open-minded" views about tolerance. MONROE |