MOSQUE SERMONS FOR SAUDI ARABIA SEPTEMBER 28 AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000450

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2017
TAGS: PGOV SOCI KISL SA
SUBJECT: MOSQUE SERMONS FOR SAUDI ARABIA SEPTEMBER 28 AND
OCTOBER 5: AL-KHOBAR, MECCA, AND MEDINA.

Classified By: Acting Consul General CB Toney for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).


1. (C) BEGIN SUMMARY: In the Eastern Province on September
28, a substitute Imam at the al-Khobar Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal
Mosque focused his sermon once again on Ramadan. He repeated
his call for the congregation to read the Koran and stressed
the importance of purifying oneself to prepare for the
afterlife. On October 5, the substitute Imam remarked on
alms giving and the Night of Power, and summarized the Grand
Mufti's warning to Saudi Youth on the dangers of
participating in jihad abroad.


2. (U) In Mecca on September 28 and October 5, the sermons
comprised discussion of the importance of repentance and also
warned youth against seeking jihad in neighboring countries.
In Medina on September 28 and October 5, the sermons included
calls for recitation of the Koran and additional prayer. END
SUMMARY.

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AL-KHOBAR
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DEDICATION TO GOD AND SELF-PURIFICATION


3. (C) In the Eastern Province at the al-Khobar Imam Ahmad
bin Hanbal Mosque on September 28, the substitute Imam
started the sermon by reiterating his call for the
congregation "To follow God's orders through daily
recitations...of the Holy Koran and through acts of good....
He also emphasized that "...now is the time for good Muslims
to do something about their life in the hereafter...." The
substitute Imam directed his sermon toward smokers, drug
users, and drinkers, saying that "Ramadan presents the best
opportunity for man to purify himself of impurities and
vice."


4. (C) On October 5, the substitute Imam stressed that the
congregation should undertake additional prayers and that
"... great rewards...await worshippers who dedicate their
free time to prayers, recitation of the Holy Quran...." He
also discussed the importance of alms giving (Zakat al-Fitr)
toward the end of Ramadan.


5. (C) The substitute Imam continued, addressing the Night of
Power (Laylat al-Qadr),which falls somewhere during the last
10 days of October. He said that the Koran describes it
"...as equal to a thousand months, translating to 83 years
and some months." He added "...it is the night when the
Heavens and the skies open briefly to reveal what's inside to
the eyes of the most fortunate of human beings, the most
pious of worshippers."

WARNS YOUTH AGAINST JOINING JIHAD ABROAD


6. (C) During the second part of the sermon, the substitute
Imam read a brief summary of the Grand Mufti's October 1
written warning to Saudi youth against the dangers of joining
so-called jihad in neighboring countries.

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MECCA
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REPENTANCE AND SELF-REFLECTION


7. (U) In Mecca at the Holy Mosque on September 28, Sheikh
Saud al-Shuraym focused on "repentance" and criticized "some
people" for eating and "watching low movies and dubious drama
series" during Ramadan. He continued "it is not strange for
such people not to find in this blessed month what the
faithful believers find in it."


8. (U) The following week on October 5, Sheikh Salih
Bin-Humayd started the sermon by once again citing the
importance of reviewing one's actions. However he cautioned
that "...the review will not be serious or accurate unless
the Muslim has a strong will and a true intention...." He
added that this included an examination of the nation's
youth, stating that what happened to the nation of Islam was
the "Result of miscalculated actions and conducts,

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particularly by some youths." He argued that this was due to
"...blind enthusasm based on lack of knowledge and opinion
and rfusal to accept advice and to think about the
cosequences."

YOUTH EXPLOITED FOR POLITICAL GAIN

9. (U) Sheikh Salih Bin-Humayd reitrated the Grand Mufti's
warning to youth to avoid participating in jihad abroad,
stating "...His Eminence...warned against being carried away
by whims and enthusiasm that is not governed by useful
knowledge and wise opinion. He stressed that the situations
there (in Iraq) are unsettled, the conditions uncertain, and
the banners not clear." He added "...the one who incited
these inexperienced young men and tempted them is either one
who is ignorant of the true reality and was not really aware
of the true situation, or one who knows the true reality and
intends to inflict damage on this country and its people."


10. (U) The Imam continued on the same theme, stating that
"...these young men have fallen easy prey to everyone who
wanted to sow corruption on earth. They exploited their
enthusiasm until they turned them into time bombs and mobile
traps killing themselves so as to achieve political gains and
to make them fuel for blazing conflicts and bridges for
suspicious trends. These young men have become a tool in the
hand of foreign apparatuses that manipulated them in the name
of Jihad and are using them to achieve their ignominious
aims...which are far removed from true religion...."

NOT ALL JIHAD IS LEGITIMATE


11. (U) The Sheikh stated that many gaps existed "...between
legitimate jihad, its jurisprudence (fiqh),and sound
implementation...." "These gaps," he added, "are exploited
by groups that are hostile to Islam and its people in
creating instability, spreading disturbances, causing
divisions, sowing suspicions, leveling accusations, killing
innocents, confusing positions, and causing estrangement
among peoples and their governments and rulers." He
concluded by stating that "...as a result of this, the ideas
of takfir (holding other Muslims to be infidel) and killing
have become active even among members of the one family."

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MEDINA
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CALL TO RECITE THE KORAN AND TO PRAY


12. (U) In Medina at the Holy Mosque on September 28, Sheikh
Salah al-Budayr also discussed the importance of worship and
recitation of the Koran. On October 5, Sheikh Abd-al-Rahman
al-Hudhayfi requested of the congregation that they recite
"God's words" and perform prayer during the last 10 days of
Ramadan.
TONEY