APHSCT TOWNSEND NOVEMBER 15 MEETING WITH SAUDI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 009079 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2015 TAGS: KISL KIRF PREL PTER SA SUBJECT: APHSCT TOWNSEND NOVEMBER 15 MEETING WITH SAUDI ISLAMIC AFFAIRS MINISTER Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Gfoeller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: On November 15, 2006, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism (APHSCT) Frances Fragos Townsend met with SAG Islamic Affairs Minister Sheikh Saleh bin Abdul Aziz bin Mohammed Al al-Sheikh to discuss SAG re-education of imams and mosque speakers both inside and outside the KSA, oversight of mosque sermons, and review and revision of textbooks and curricula to promote tolerance. While the Ministry has worked on these issues since they last met a year ago, the Minister said re-training of imams and mosque speakers inside the KSA will take another two years. He gave no end date for the revision of textbooks and curricula inside the KSA. He added that the Education Ministry, not his ministry, is responsible for the review and revision of Saudi-sponsored curricula used outside the KSA. END SUMMARY. MOSQUES -------------- ¶2. (C) On November 15, Minister Al al-Sheikh told APHSCT Townsend that the USG and SAG share a common objective in facilitating mutual understanding and improving sermons, textbooks, and curricula. He noted that, while the Ministry has achieved progress over the year since they last met, it is still evaluating Saudi-sponsored imams outside of the KSA and has not begun to train them. He also said it will take another two years for the ministry to train imams and mosque speakers within the Kingdom. He emphasized that the SAG is pursuing these measures because one of its core principles is teaching &true Islam8 and teaching it in the right way. He re-emphasized a point he made a year ago that the SAG is doing this not because anyone is pressuring it, but rather because it wants to "correct Islamic discourse." Nonetheless, Al al-Sheikh emphasized that changing attitudes requires a long time and much effort. ¶3. (C) Al al-Sheikh said that Friday sermons are now more rational and less extremist, including on foreign policy issues like Palestine and Afghanistan. He noted that the Ministry still must periodically deal with troublemakers, especially after incidents of violence in Palestine or Iraq (notably if women and children are injured or killed). He said that throughout the KSA, imams and speakers are being trained in special schools and that imams must now have a bachelor,s degree. He noted that some imams have master,s degrees or even doctorates. These special schools train imams and speakers in certain skills, notably public speaking and administration of mosques. This training also indirectly improves their Islamic religious skills. He promised that the SAG will continue to pursue this training over the next two years. -------------- TEXTBOOKS -------------- ¶4. (C) Townsend thanked Al al-Sheikh for his good work with U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom Hanford. Al al-Sheikh said that a special high commission oversees the review of textbooks. (NOTE: He did not clarify whether this commission only reviews textbooks used inside the KSA or also reviews textbooks used outside the KSA. END NOTE.) He said the commission is slowly moving forward and has already corrected many textbooks. He added that the commission,s job is further complicated and slowed whenever it reviews religious statements. He said his Ministry reviews and revises curricula used inside the KSA, but that the Education Ministry is responsible for the review and revision of Saudi-sponsored curricula used outside the KSA. Al al-Sheikh said that when Saudi schools belong to Saudi embassies, ambassadors and school officials are responsible for the curricula. He pointed out that when Ghazi bin Abd al-Rahman Al-Gosaibi was the Saudi ambassador in London, he made a lot of changes to the curricula of the Saudi Academy there (NOTE: al-Gosaibi, a liberal in the Saudi political context, is currently Minister of Labor and Social Affairs.) ¶5. (C) As APHSCT Townsend thanked Al al-Sheikh for the meeting and for updating her on his effort. Al al-Sheikh expressed that he was happy to have had the meeting and that it helps to serve KSA objectives as well. He further noted the questions Townsend raised lie at the core of the issues KSA government must address. Al al-Sheikh ended by noting that there is a lot of misunderstanding and misperceptions regarding Saudi Arabia because of the &deeds of a few.8 He hopes there will be an increased understanding of KSA at both RIYADH 00009079 002 OF 002 the highest levels and throughout the US in general. ¶6. (U) This cable has been cleared by APHSCT Townsend. OBERWETTER