Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MUSCAT222
2006-02-15 15:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Muscat
Cable title:  

QUELLING VIOLENT REACTIONS TO OFFENSIVE CARTOONS:

Tags:  PREL KISL KPAO PGOV XF MU 
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UNCLAS MUSCAT 000222 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR NEA/ARPI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KISL KPAO PGOV XF MU
SUBJECT: QUELLING VIOLENT REACTIONS TO OFFENSIVE CARTOONS:
OMAN

REF: A. SECSTATE 20587

B. MUSCAT 133

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000222

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

FOR NEA/ARPI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KISL KPAO PGOV XF MU
SUBJECT: QUELLING VIOLENT REACTIONS TO OFFENSIVE CARTOONS:
OMAN

REF: A. SECSTATE 20587

B. MUSCAT 133


1. (SBU) The Embassy delivered ref A demarche February 14
thanking the Omani government for its role in helping to calm
public reactions to the offensive Danish cartoons and urging
continued efforts to promote peaceful dialogue. To date,
there have been no acts of violence stemming from the cartoon
controversy, though an unofficial popular boycott of Danish
products has been widespread and effective (ref B).


2. (SBU) A number of articles have appeared in the local
press condemning violence and calling for peaceful dialogue.
On February 13, an appeal for calm signed by 41 international
Islamic scholars, including Oman's Grand Mufti Shaykh Ahmad
al-Khalili, was published. Government-owned Arabic daily
"Oman" printed an editorial February 10 on the theme of
"Dialogue and tolerance is the best solution." A local
commentator contributed an article in that same edition's
religion section calling on Omanis to reject the acts of
violence (such as witnessed in Syria and Lebanon) and
appealing to Muslims not to "deviate from the righteous
path." The Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs sponsored
a lecture at the Sultan's Grand Mosque on February 5 by an
American Islamic expert that also touched on tolerance
issues. The Omani government has not, to our knowledge,
lodged any formal protests with countries that published the
cartoons, nor threatened to suspend or alter its normal
diplomatic relations with countries involved in the
controversy.
BALTIMORE