Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07MILAN95
2007-04-11 07:45:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Consulate Milan
Cable title:  

MUSLIM OUTREACH STRATEGY - THE NEXT LEVEL

Tags:  SOCI KISL PHUM SMIG IT 
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VZCZCXRO0847
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHMIL #0095/01 1010745
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 110745Z APR 07
FM AMCONSUL MILAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1146
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 7962
RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE 0136
RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES 0133
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MILAN 000095 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/PPD
STATE FOR EUR FARAH PANDITH AND KAREEMA DAOUD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SOCI KISL PHUM SMIG IT
SUBJECT: MUSLIM OUTREACH STRATEGY - THE NEXT LEVEL

MILAN 00000095 001.2 OF 003


This cable is Sensitive But Unclassified, and is not for
internet distribution.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MILAN 000095

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/PPD
STATE FOR EUR FARAH PANDITH AND KAREEMA DAOUD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SOCI KISL PHUM SMIG IT
SUBJECT: MUSLIM OUTREACH STRATEGY - THE NEXT LEVEL

MILAN 00000095 001.2 OF 003


This cable is Sensitive But Unclassified, and is not for
internet distribution.


1. (SBU) Summary. Italy represents an opportunity for U.S.
interests in promoting the integration of moderate Muslims in
a Western European democracy. The level of immigration,
particularly Muslim immigration, has risen steeply in recent
years, and both Italy and resident Muslims are still evolving
their relationship. That evolution gives us an opportunity
to facilitate a positive integration that promotes a shared
sense of citizenship while maintaining and respecting
different religious traditions. We share our experience also
because there may be common areas of approach useful at other
EUR posts. End summary.


2. (SBU) Most of Italy's Muslims reside in the north, where
most of the job opportunities exist. ConGen Milan has been
evolving our outreach program to moderate Muslims, proceeding
from the getting-to-know-you stage. In two years of meeting
and engaging moderate Muslims in Northern Italy, ConGen Milan
has moved to the next stage of promoting multi-faith/cultural
integration. Meeting Muslims is not the goal in this
process, but only the starting point. We are continuing to
expand our understanding of the moderate Muslim communities
throughout the North, and building positive relationships
with these diverse communities. We are also building
relations with active NGOs and local government officials, to
get a well-rounded understanding of the situation in Italy
for Muslims. We are taking advantage of the opportunity to
serve as a bridge between Italians and Muslim immigrants and
have a positive impact.


3. (SBU) Italy has traditionally been an exporter of people,
but today Italy is a receiver of immigrants, and the country
is having trouble grappling with this new role. Certain
integration issues, such as schools (both approving Muslim
schools and integrating immigrants into Italian schools) and
the establishment of mosques and construction of minarets,
have proven difficult in some communities. ConGen Milan
deepened its interactions with Muslim contacts and encourage
their integration into Italian society through a series of

events designed to put Italians civilians and officials
directly in contact with their Muslim neighbors. We provide
venues for Muslims and Italians to exchange perspectives. We
are also seeking to help Muslim leaders be more effective
advocates for their community with local Italian officials.


4. (SBU) We are combining focus on our economic strategic
goals to encourage activities on the part of private sector
and local government that give opportunity to develop a
well-integrated, economically prosperous community among
immigrant Muslims. Improving economic opportunity is good
for the local economy and our overall partnership with Italy,
and good for the immigrants.


5. (SBU) Combined with increased understanding of moderate
Muslim traditions, this economic integration will help ensure
the immigrant communities will not become recruiting grounds
for radical groups in the future. As part of this effort,
Consulate officials met with many Muslims in ten cities
throughout Northern Italy over the past six months. In every
city, we also met with local officials and usually with
active NGOs. Note: While the majority of Muslims in Italy
are originally from other countries, there is a small
community of Italian converts. Many of their interests
overlap with goals of immigrant Muslims, in promoting
acceptance of a minority religion/culture relatively new to
Italy. End note.


6. (SBU) After making contact with Muslims, we began to
facilitate contacts between them and local officials,
businesspeople, and other Italians. We sent young Muslims on
IV and VolVis programs to the United States in both
multi-faith and Muslim groups, and provided fora to report on
their American experience of integration with Italian
civilians and local government officials. We also introduced
Muslims to other Muslims and encouraged more intra-community
communications and cooperation. We inspired some of our
Muslim contacts to host their own inter-cultural events, and
we have been asked to host more public get-togethers, focused
on specific issues of interest, such as starting a new
business. After helping these groups make connections, we
found that sometimes it was still necessary for us to

MILAN 00000095 002.2 OF 003


actively advocate on their behalf, usually because a
government process has frustrated them and is not
transparent. We have had success with this advocacy and the
fact that we raise the issue of integration is significant
with local officials.


7. (SBU) We will continue to work with our Muslim contacts
to help them become the leaders that are necessary to make a
difference. We will continue to facilitate cross-cultural
contacts that promote shared goals and promote integration.
To achieve this, we have developed six goals for our future
Muslim Outreach program:

A) Provide more opportunities in a neutral environment for
Muslims to explain their situations and help us and Italians
understand their issues.

Example: We hosted a tea with Muslim women in an attempt to
understand their problems and issues. They told us about
their problems with schools and teachers and how they really
feel about always being asked about the veil. We found that
an all-women discussion produced a livelier discussion than
had been the case in mixed groups. And we inspired the women
to host their own outreach, inviting local government
officials and other Italians.

B) Provide more fora for Muslims to meet regular, average
Italians who may not have ever met a Muslim.

Examples: We have invited regular Italians to our Iftar
dinners and to attend a concert performed by Kantara, a group
of Muslim-Tunisian and American musicians. We have also
involved Muslims in our regular economic-focused Partnership
for Growth events.

C) Introduce Muslims to more local officials and NGOs who
might help them accomplish community integration goals.

Example: Upon the return of two groups of travelers, five
Voluntary Visitors and two inter-faith International
Visitors, we hosted lunches and invited city officials so the
travelers could discuss their findings and conclusions. We
included representatives of NGOs, often affiliated with the
Catholic Church, active in various forms of immigrant
integration. The participants all exchanged business cards
and the Muslims now have new contacts within the cities.

D) Work with Muslim communities to help establish outreach
strategies, in order to break the negative news cycle in
which these communities often find themselves.

Example: After consulting with us, a local Muslim women's
group arranged a seminar for "those who are more used to
talking to us than to listening," which was hosted by an NGO
group they met through one of our previous events!

E) Introduce Muslim immigrants to bankers and financial
players who might show them the way to start businesses, as
economic success helps tremendously in integration, and is
also one of our general goals for Italy. We will continue to
engage Muslim entrepreneurs in Partnership for Growth
programming.

Example: We hosted a meeting with immigrant entrepreneurs to
try to understand the obstacles facing an immigrant who wants
to start a business. We learned about what worked and what
doesn't. Armed with this information, we are planning a
lunch with bankers and Muslim leaders and businesses.

F) Advocate on behalf of Muslims with our contacts,
especially government officials, as we determine appropriate
issues (e.g., multi-cultural schools and mosque/minaret
issues).

Examples: When the city of Milan closed an Italian-Egyptian
Muslim school, the school did everything they could to
re-open, but were running into a brick wall. After one
meeting with the responsible official to express our interest
and inquire about the "lack of transparency," the school was
finally re-opened. We also met with city officials to
express our interest in the case of a request for approval of
a mosque that has been pending for years. The official took
our inquiry very seriously and promised to get back to us

MILAN 00000095 003.2 OF 003


shortly. We find out about partners in the push for
integration. In the case of the request for a mosque, the
local Jewish community had also advocated on behalf of their
Muslim friends with city officials.

Conclusion
--------------


8. (SBU) ConGen Milan's program has been positively received
by our Muslim contacts, and appreciated by Italian officials
eager to make links in the Muslim communities. Muslims have
expressed deep appreciation not only for listening to them,
but also for putting them in contact with officials and
businesspeople, for advising them on public outreach, and for
advocating for them. Italian officials, NGOs, and academics
appreciate our facilitative powers to promote integration and
mutual understanding. To illustrate our success, one of our
young Muslim contacts was invited by Minister of Interior
Amato to serve as a consultant to the government on
integration issues, and in he told the MOI that ConGen
Milan's approach to Muslim Outreach should serve as a "model"
for the GOI. We will continue to work with the rest of the
posts in Italy to engage moderate Muslims and do our part to
assist the GOI in integration issues.
GRAZE