SUNNI AND SHI'A DISCUSS RAPPROCHEMENT IN DOHA

UNCLAS DOHA 000078

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KISL QA
SUBJECT: SUNNI AND SHI'A DISCUSS RAPPROCHEMENT IN DOHA


1. (SBU) Summary. Prominent cleric Yousef Qaradawi called on
Iraqi Shi'a and Iran to take steps to end sectarian violence
in Iraq at Doha's Conference for Dialogue of Islamic Schools
of Thought. Shi'a and other clerics said that Muslims must
unite in the face of a common (some mentioned Zionist) enemy.
Belief that the U.S. encourages sectarian violence in Iraq
was widely held among participants, though they did not spell
out U.S. aims in doing so, beyond saying that it was to
weaken the Islamic world. The conference did not generate any
political momentum. End Summary.


2. (U) Qatar hosted the Conference for Dialogue of Islamic
Schools of Thought in Doha January 20-22 in cooperation with
al-Azhar University (Cairo) and World Forum for the Proximity
of Islamic Schools of Thought (Tehran). There were 173
invited participants, mostly professors, muftis, and
government ministry officials from Arab states and Iran, but
also from a handful of non-middle eastern states such as
Uganda and Poland. VIPs included Dr. Ikrimah Sobhi, the Mufti
of Palestine, and Dr. Ahed al-Tayeb, president of al-Azhar
University in Cairo. Members of the Zaidi sect were present
from Yemen, and a Omanis and a Tunisian represented the Ibadi
sect. Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al-Misned, wife of the Amir,
attended the opening session but did not speak.


3. (SBU) At the opening session, prominent Doha-based cleric
Dr. Yousef al-Qaradawi said that the Shi'a government of Iraq
had the ability to stop sectarian violence in that country
and criticised Iran for its interference in Iraq. He called
on the Shi'a to end "insults" directed at the companions of
the Prophet Mohamed (referring to the events the brought
about the split in the religion). He also suggested that the
U.S. desired to undermine the unity of what he called the
Islamic nation. "We should remain united (with Iranians) to
fight our real enemy," he said.


4. (SBU) Ayatollah Mohamed Ali al-Taskhiri, Secretary General
of the World Forum for the Proximity of Islamic Schools of
Thought, said Sunnis and Shi'as must stop "verbal attacks,"
including Shi'a insults directed at the companions of the
Prophet Mohamed and Sunni claims that the Shi'a are infidels.
The Secretary General of Kuwait's al-Wasatiya Center, Dr.
Issam al-Bashir, also called for eliminating insults ind
improving academic texts that perpetuate ill-feeling between
sects. But Taskhiri also claimed that the U.S. was using
sectarian differences in a campaign against Iran.


5. (U) The final declaration:

-- Denounced sectarian violence in Iraq "which would lead to
the division of Iraq and draw attention from the real enemy";

-- Called on Muslims to unify in the face of aggression and
challenges;

-- Reaffirmed that Muslims fighting Muslims is forbidden;

-- Called on Muslims to refrain from insulting each other's
school of thought and to cease efforts to proselytize within
the Muslim community; and

-- Created an academic forum in Doha for narrowing the gap
between Islamic sects.

Comments
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6. (SBU) Despite the presence of Sheikha Mozah at the opening
ceremony, the conference included few participants with
strong political influence. There may have been some benefit
in Shi'as and Sunnis getting together and discussing core
religious topics, but there is no mechanism to follow through
on any of the findings. Unfortunately, the idea that the U.S.
(and Israel) are exploiting sectarian differences and
ecouraging violence in order to weaken the Islamic world
appeared widespread among participants. One of the Qatari
organizers -- the moderate dean of the Sharia Law faculty at
Qatar University -- commented to us that "we believe this 100
percent. But don't ask me how."
UNTERMEYER