NORWAY: SAUDI-TRAINED IMAM CLAIMS 9/11 A US ACTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 001141

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DS/ITA
DEPT FOR EUR/PPD/NB
DEOT FOR EUR/NB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KISL ASEC KPAO SA NO
SUBJECT: NORWAY: SAUDI-TRAINED IMAM CLAIMS 9/11 A US ACTION
AND AL-QAEDA A MYTH

Classified By: DCM Kevin Johnson, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (U) Imam Zulqarnain Sakandar Madni, leader of a group
called 'Norway's United Ulamas,' commented during a net chat
on the newspaper Aftenposten's website 12 September that he
doubts that Al Qaeda exists, and that 'a good deal of
evidence' points to the attacks of 9/11 as being planned by
President Bush and his advisors. He went on to say that Osama
bin Laden is a fictional figure and questioned the very
existence of Al Qaeda. He repeated these claims in a
subsequent national television interview. Imam Sakandar's
position as the head of an organization of Imams is not
without controversy, but he is often quoted in the press and
is seen as an important spokesperson for the Muslim community
in Norway.


2. (SBU) The comments received international attention, and
were picked up by UPI and the Washington Post, among others.
On 13 September, in Aftenposten, the leader of the Islamic
Council in Norway, Mohammad Hamdan, publicly rebuked Sakandar
suggesting that the Imam stick to teaching. Nevertheless,
Hamdan's arguments were nuanced noting that Osama bin Laden
has not been convicted by a court of law. He did not condemn
Sakandar's position outright, just his decision to discuss it
publicly. The Norwegian media also reached out to the former
Bishop of Oslo for his comments, in an effort to provide
balance. The media's discomfort with Sakandar's statements
was reflected in articles such as the Aftenposten piece
titled "Imam On Another Planet." The GON has yet to comment,
something we will be asking about as part of an effort to
gauge reactions.


3. (C) The Norwegian government did deal with Sakandar (among
other Imams) when trying to calm the waters following the
caricature situation earlier this year. His reputation in
the community is mixed, with one Pakistani-Norwegian
politician referring to him as 'extremist light,' and an
individual who often deals with, and has influence on, young
Muslims in his position as an Imam. Sakandar studied Islamic
law in Medina.


4. (SBU) On September 11, the DCM also took questions in a
webchat on 9/11 and the continuing war on terror, getting out
our message against terrorism. We are releasing a press
statement today countering the misinformation in the Imam's
interview. Beyond this, post has developed a multi-pronged
program to increase contact with the Muslim and immigrant
communities that are growing quickly in Norway. We are
expanding our network of contacts in the immigrant community
through discussion on integration issues, which is a topical
theme of public debate in Norway and gives us a neutral entre
into the largely Muslim immigrant populations. We expect this
program will increase ties with the Muslim communities in
Norway which will improve our ability to address these issues
through education and dialogue at the grass roots level.
Visit Oslo's Classified website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/oslo/index.cf m


WHITNEY