NEW ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY TO EMPHASIZE MODERATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000016

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MTS AND ECA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM PTER BX
SUBJECT: NEW ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY TO EMPHASIZE MODERATE
DOCTRINES


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SUMMARY
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1. The Sultan of Brunei has announced establishment of an Islamic
university which will educate Muslim students from across Southeast
Asia in mainstream Islamic doctrine. Brunei's government will fund
scholarships for nine prospective Filipino Islamic clerics in the
new university's first entering class in August, as part of a
bilateral agreement with the Philippines. Administrators of the new
university are interested in partnering with Islamic studies
departments at U.S. universities; we will assist their efforts, as
the expansion of religious education based on a moderate form of
Islam can help blunt the spread of Muslim extremism in Southeast
Asia. End Summary.

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NEW ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCED
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2. Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah announced in his annual new year's
address the establishment of a new Islamic university in Brunei.
The new institution will be named Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali
(UISSA),after the Arab missionary from Taif who claimed to be a
direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammed and became Brunei's third
Sultan in 1425 after marrying the then-ruler's daughter. The
university's first intake of students is planned for August 2007.


3. Deputy Minister of Education Dato Haji Mohammed subsequently
indicated that UISSA will initially absorb the faculty and students
of the existing Islamic Education Institute at the University of
Brunei Darussalam (UBD). UISSA will occupy buildings on the UBD
campus for approximately three years until its own nearby
purpose-built campus is completed. Dato Mohammed (himself a
graduate of Cairo's Al-Azhar University) told the media that the
government aimed for UISSA to become an internationally recognized
progressive Islamic university producing religious scholars and
academicians through undergraduate and post-graduate programs based
on the Shafie school of Islamic jurisprudence.

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MODERATE ISLAMIC DOCTRINES TO BE EMPHASIZED
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4. Ambassador discussed plans for UISSA with UBD Vice Chancellor
Dato Dr. Haji Ismael and Acting Dean of Islamic Studies Dr. Haji
Mohamad, who sits on the steering committee for establishment of
UISSA, during a January 10 meeting at UBD. They explained that
UISSA was intended to become a world-class center of religious
learning that stressed a moderate form of Islam and the integration
of Islamic studies with other disciplines. It would begin
operations with faculties of Islamic law, theology, and Arabic
language studies, but was expected to offer courses in other areas
as well. To avoid Islamic studies from becoming too insular,
courses would be taught in English as well as Arabic and Malay, and
UISSA and UBD students would be encouraged to take courses at both
institutions. A UISSA student interested in Islamic finance, for
example, could take courses at UBD's existing Faculty of Business
and Economics.


5. Dato Dr. Ismael and Dr. Mohmamed said this approach was meant to
emphasize Islam's compatibility and integration with the broader
world, and stand in contrast to the views of strict Islamic
rejectionists. The government currently directed Bruneian students
of Islam either to Al-Azhar or the International Islamic University
in Malaysia. While Bruneians would continue to attend these
institutions, the foundation of UISSA would ensure that additional
demand for world-class academic study of Islam could be met
domestically and Bruneians would not need to look at other
international centers where they might be exposed to less mainstream
schools of Islamic thought. (Comment -- Read: Wahhabism. End
Comment.)

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PROMOTING INTERNATIONAL LINKAGES
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6. The Vice Chancellor and Acting Dean expected the majority of
UISSA students to come initially from the Government of Brunei's
Arabic-language religious secondary schools. They hoped, however,
eventually to attract a large contingent of students from other
Southeast Asdian countries. Plans had already been laid for a group
of nine aspiring imams from the Philippines to be included in
UISSA's first entering class. They would attend on GOB-funded
scholarships under the terms of a bilateral agreement reached with
the Government of the Philippines. Dato Dr. Ismael said that
President Arroyo was quite interested in this program and had
discussed it with Sultan Hassanal, who had personally approved the
scholarships. Both leaders reportedly wanted to see more Filipino

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Muslims be given the opportunity for a mainstream Islamic education
in Brunei in the future.


7. As part of efforts to internationalize UISSA and have it
incorporate world-wide best practices in Islamic studies, the
university officials told Ambassador they would be interested in
more information about Islamic studies in the U.S. and possibly
establishing student and faculty exchanges with American
universities. (Dr. Mohamad studied in the U.S. and has contacts in
Islamic studies programs at Temple and Cornell.) In particular,
they wondered if there were opportunities for UISSA staff to spend
professional internships with the administrations of American
universities, in order to learn more about their management and
educational approaches; they also asked about USG-sponsored exchange
or scholarship programs. In reply, Ambassador provided a broad
briefing on the Fulbright, International Visitor, and Voluntary
Visitor programs, and offered to have the Embassy Education Advisor
get in touch with more details.

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COMMENT
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8. The expansion of religious education in Southeast Asia based on
mainstream, moderate Islam is in the USG's interest, as it can help
blunt the spread of radical doctrines which are often used to
legitimize terrorism. The Sultan's initiative to establish UISSA is
thus a welcome development, particular the intent to offer education
for prospective Muslim clerics from the Philippines and other
Southeast Asian nations. The Embassy will do what it can to help
UISSA expand its ties with U.S. Islamic Studies programs, in
conjunction with ECA and other Washington agencies. End Comment.



SKODON