Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07JEDDAH419
2007-09-30 09:01:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Jeddah
Cable title:
MOSQUE SERMONS FOR SAUDI ARABIA SEPTEMBER 14 AND
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000419
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2017
TAGS: PGOV SOCI KISL SA
SUBJECT: MOSQUE SERMONS FOR SAUDI ARABIA SEPTEMBER 14 AND
21: AL-KHOBAR, MECCA, AND MEDINA.
Classified By: By Acting Consul General CB Toney For Reasons 1.4 (b) an
d (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000419
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2017
TAGS: PGOV SOCI KISL SA
SUBJECT: MOSQUE SERMONS FOR SAUDI ARABIA SEPTEMBER 14 AND
21: AL-KHOBAR, MECCA, AND MEDINA.
Classified By: By Acting Consul General CB Toney For Reasons 1.4 (b) an
d (d).
1. (C) BEGIN SUMMARY: In the Eastern Province on September
14, a substitute Imam at the al-Khobar Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal
Mosque devoted his sermon to the holy month of Ramadan. He
stressed the importance of total abstinence and helping the
poor. The following week he continued on the same theme,
instructing his congregation to "to read the Koran in its
entirety."
2. (U) In Mecca on September 14 and 21, the sermons comprised
discussion of the religious duties of Muslims during Ramadan,
the need for the media to create a code of honor, and praise
for Saudi Arabia's role in facilitating the September 16
Somalia Agreement. In Medina on September 14 and 21, the
focus was also on Ramadan, and in addition, included a call
on merchants not to raise prices. END SUMMARY.
--------------
AL-KHOBAR: RELIGIOUS DUTIES DURING RAMADAN
--------------
3. (C) At the al-Khobar Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal Mosque on
September 14, the substitute Imam started the sermon by
describing Ramadan as "a school that opens its gates once a
year for only a month," during which Muslims learn, through
total abstinence, what it means to be a good Muslim. He then
described the attributes of a good Muslim (e.g. helping the
less fortunate).
4. (C) Through fasting, he continued, "well-off Muslims not
only earn God's blessings but get to know first-hand what it
feels like to go hungry and thirsty, a divine process that
helps the faithful relate to the world's poor." The Imam
called on members of the congregation to strengthen their
efforts in prayer and worship, as well as in "good deeds."
5. (C) On September 21, the substitute Imam focused once
again on faith-related activities during Ramadan. In
particular, he stated that reading the Koran "purifies the
body and soul, and helps the worshipper remember the great
powers of the Creator." He added that "the entire human race
is prone to sickness, death and bad fortune, just as it is
prone to happiness, life and good fortune."
--------------
MECCA: IMPORTANCE OF FASTING;
CRITICISM OF BEGGING
--------------
6. U) On September 14, Sheikh Dr Abd-al-Rahman al-Sdays
focused on the importance of fasting during Ramadan. He
stated that the "essence, crux, and meaning of fasting is to
achieve the stronger pillar; namely, piety to God." He also
criticized the "serious phenomenon which spreads in this
blessed month," "the phenomenon of begging."
THE MEDIA AND THE NEED FOR A CODE OF HONOR
7. (U) He called on "those in charge of the news media and
the writers to fear God in the month of the Koran" and to
"reach an agreement on a moral and professional code of honor
to safeguard values and principles, to elevate the edifice of
virtue after the spread of vice, and to confront the
tendentious media campaigns against Islam....
8. (U) The Imam concluded with a prayer to "support Islam and
Muslims, humiliate polytheism and polytheists, and destroy
the enemies of religion;" "to liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque
from the occupier and aggressor Jews;" and to "help our
brothers in the land of the two rivers and unite their hearts
on the Book and the Sunna."
CALL TO CARRY-OUT GOOD DEEDS
9. (U) On September 21, Sheikh Salih Al Talib remarked that
"during Ramadan, souls become pleased with worship, delighted
with obeying God, and accustomed with good deeds" and urged
the congregation to "taste" the "sweetness" of worship of
God.
JEDDAH 00000419 002 OF 002
PRAISE FOR THE SEPTEMBER 16 SOMALIA AGREEMENT
10. (U) He then switched topics to Saudi Arabia's "efforts to
reunify people, save their blood, and unite brothers," which
he stated "was crowned a few days ago with the agreement and
reconciliation between the brothers in Somalia following 20
years of wars and fighting."
11. (U) The Imam concluded with a prayer "for the wellbeing
of Muslims," to "support Islam and Muslims and humiliate
polytheism and polytheists," and to "grant victory to those
who perform Jihad in your cause in Palestine and everywhere."
--------------
MEDINA: IMPORTANCE OF READING THE KORAN;
CALL ON MERCHANTS NOT TO INCREASE PRICES
--------------
12. (U) On September 14, Sheikh Abd-al-Muhsin Al Qasim also
discussed the importance of worship and recitation of the
Koran during Ramadan. During the following week's sermon on
September 21, Sheikh Husayn Al-Shaykh focused on the
"happiness" of Muslims during Ramadan, urged them to have
"patience and noble manners," and called on merchants not to
increase prices.
TONEY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2017
TAGS: PGOV SOCI KISL SA
SUBJECT: MOSQUE SERMONS FOR SAUDI ARABIA SEPTEMBER 14 AND
21: AL-KHOBAR, MECCA, AND MEDINA.
Classified By: By Acting Consul General CB Toney For Reasons 1.4 (b) an
d (d).
1. (C) BEGIN SUMMARY: In the Eastern Province on September
14, a substitute Imam at the al-Khobar Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal
Mosque devoted his sermon to the holy month of Ramadan. He
stressed the importance of total abstinence and helping the
poor. The following week he continued on the same theme,
instructing his congregation to "to read the Koran in its
entirety."
2. (U) In Mecca on September 14 and 21, the sermons comprised
discussion of the religious duties of Muslims during Ramadan,
the need for the media to create a code of honor, and praise
for Saudi Arabia's role in facilitating the September 16
Somalia Agreement. In Medina on September 14 and 21, the
focus was also on Ramadan, and in addition, included a call
on merchants not to raise prices. END SUMMARY.
--------------
AL-KHOBAR: RELIGIOUS DUTIES DURING RAMADAN
--------------
3. (C) At the al-Khobar Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal Mosque on
September 14, the substitute Imam started the sermon by
describing Ramadan as "a school that opens its gates once a
year for only a month," during which Muslims learn, through
total abstinence, what it means to be a good Muslim. He then
described the attributes of a good Muslim (e.g. helping the
less fortunate).
4. (C) Through fasting, he continued, "well-off Muslims not
only earn God's blessings but get to know first-hand what it
feels like to go hungry and thirsty, a divine process that
helps the faithful relate to the world's poor." The Imam
called on members of the congregation to strengthen their
efforts in prayer and worship, as well as in "good deeds."
5. (C) On September 21, the substitute Imam focused once
again on faith-related activities during Ramadan. In
particular, he stated that reading the Koran "purifies the
body and soul, and helps the worshipper remember the great
powers of the Creator." He added that "the entire human race
is prone to sickness, death and bad fortune, just as it is
prone to happiness, life and good fortune."
--------------
MECCA: IMPORTANCE OF FASTING;
CRITICISM OF BEGGING
--------------
6. U) On September 14, Sheikh Dr Abd-al-Rahman al-Sdays
focused on the importance of fasting during Ramadan. He
stated that the "essence, crux, and meaning of fasting is to
achieve the stronger pillar; namely, piety to God." He also
criticized the "serious phenomenon which spreads in this
blessed month," "the phenomenon of begging."
THE MEDIA AND THE NEED FOR A CODE OF HONOR
7. (U) He called on "those in charge of the news media and
the writers to fear God in the month of the Koran" and to
"reach an agreement on a moral and professional code of honor
to safeguard values and principles, to elevate the edifice of
virtue after the spread of vice, and to confront the
tendentious media campaigns against Islam....
8. (U) The Imam concluded with a prayer to "support Islam and
Muslims, humiliate polytheism and polytheists, and destroy
the enemies of religion;" "to liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque
from the occupier and aggressor Jews;" and to "help our
brothers in the land of the two rivers and unite their hearts
on the Book and the Sunna."
CALL TO CARRY-OUT GOOD DEEDS
9. (U) On September 21, Sheikh Salih Al Talib remarked that
"during Ramadan, souls become pleased with worship, delighted
with obeying God, and accustomed with good deeds" and urged
the congregation to "taste" the "sweetness" of worship of
God.
JEDDAH 00000419 002 OF 002
PRAISE FOR THE SEPTEMBER 16 SOMALIA AGREEMENT
10. (U) He then switched topics to Saudi Arabia's "efforts to
reunify people, save their blood, and unite brothers," which
he stated "was crowned a few days ago with the agreement and
reconciliation between the brothers in Somalia following 20
years of wars and fighting."
11. (U) The Imam concluded with a prayer "for the wellbeing
of Muslims," to "support Islam and Muslims and humiliate
polytheism and polytheists," and to "grant victory to those
who perform Jihad in your cause in Palestine and everywhere."
--------------
MEDINA: IMPORTANCE OF READING THE KORAN;
CALL ON MERCHANTS NOT TO INCREASE PRICES
--------------
12. (U) On September 14, Sheikh Abd-al-Muhsin Al Qasim also
discussed the importance of worship and recitation of the
Koran during Ramadan. During the following week's sermon on
September 21, Sheikh Husayn Al-Shaykh focused on the
"happiness" of Muslims during Ramadan, urged them to have
"patience and noble manners," and called on merchants not to
increase prices.
TONEY