A Sufi and a Wahabi Sit Down to Lunch...

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 002781 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KISL KPAO SCUL ET SUBJECT: A Sufi and a Wahabi Sit Down to Lunch... -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (U) Amb. Yamamoto hosted two groups of Ethiopian Muslim leaders to pre-Ramadan lunches. The first group included the Mufti and moderate Sufi leaders allied with the Addis Ababa Islamic Council (AAIC),while the second group was composed of Wahabi Muslim leaders. While the lunches aimed to open a dialogue between Post and Muslim leaders, we hosted separate lunches to avoid reported conflict between the two factions. To Post's surprise, the Wahabis quickly overcame their suspicion of US motives and engaged in a lively, frank, and participatory dialogue while the moderate Sufis remained cordial-but-reserved deferring principally to the Mufti to uphold dialogue. End Summary. -------------- Sufis Remain Reserved -------------- ¶2. (U) Ambassador Yamamoto hosted the Mufti of Ethiopia and several local Imams for lunch on Sept. 4. Post selected the participants based on their Sufi orientation and links to the AAIC. Despite the dozen Sufi participants, lunch conversation maintained the staunch formality of a first time visiting foreign delegation with the bulk of the dialogue occurring between the Mufti and one aide on one side and the Ambassador and Pol/Econ Counselor on the other. Predictably, the guests spoke fondly of the Ethiopian Government, highlighted Ethiopia's long history of inter-religious tolerance, and explained away the recent increase in religious conflict as being conflicts between individuals that spread to their peer groups in a religiously diverse setting. The group remained reserved, speaking predominantly in response to Post's questions with the exception of one English-speaking MP who only commented to request that Post to provide $165,000 to help offset recurring administrative costs to sustain mosque operations. The Mufti responded positively to Ambassador Yamamoto's plan to fund an Iftar for the poor at two AAIC-affiliated Mosques on Sept. 17 and 19. -------------- Suspicious Wahabis Engage -------------- ¶3. (U) As late as just days before the Sept. 5 lunch for the Wahabi leaders, those invited remained suspicious of Post's intentions and had not yet decided whether to attend. After Post's Political Specialist convinced the group that Post's motive was to listen and share experiences, the dozen invitees did attend. Ambassador �A;Yamamoto opened discussion by acknowledging that Americans often listen too little and emphasized that his goal was for a frank discussion. While the senior guest, Dr. Jeilan Khedir, commended the Ambassador -- more comfortable in Arabic than Amharic -- for the first ever invitation extended to his group by the U.S. Embassy, other guests quickly seized the invitation for a frank discussion to note that lack of engagement by the USG allowed the perception of the U.S. in a war against Islam to take root. The guests quickly questioned why they had not been invited along with the Sufi group the day before. Pol/Econ Counselor reversed the question to inquire about the reported rift between the two sects. Surprisingly, the guests explained that the two groups were both Muslim and peace-loving with no real divisions between them - only noting as an afterthought that they had different interpretations of the Koran. The Wahabi group too commented favorably about the Ethiopian Government, noting that it and its ethnic federalist structure provided far better opportunities for Muslims than any previous regime. The group also echoed the Sufi group's interpretation of recent religious conflict as stemming from individuals, and were emphatic that external influences played no role. While the group encouraged Post to distribute Korans to poor Muslim communities in Ethiopia as a means to demonstrate our good will, they did accept Post's explanation of the first amendment prohibition on promoting individual religions and were willing to accept USG development and humanitarian assistance activities as evidence of our intentions in Ethiopia. The guests who arrived suspicious left gracious and encouraging further frank dialogue. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶4. (SBU) While the Muslim outreach lunches were not groundbreaking, they certainly challenged the assumptions of Ethiopia's Muslim leaders and Post alike. Although Post's already enjoys relatively good relations with the AAIC, hosting the Mufti and Post's planned Iftars for the poor during Ramadan will certainly strengthen that relationship. The open discussion with the Wahabi leaders, and more ADDIS ABAB 00002781 002 OF 002 fundamentally the lunch invitation itself, established a line of communication previously absent and even taboo. A single lunch conversation certainly does not change the fundamental, and mutual, suspicions and reservations between our communities, but it does provide Post with a link into a growing and increasingly influential community in Ethiopia and a public diplomacy target audience of tremendous potential import to our national interests. ¶5. (SBU) Post's plan to host Iftar dinners for the poor at two local mosques, rather than the standard Iftar dinner for Muslim elites, is receiving significant praise in Addis Ababa. Yamamoto