INDIA AND THE COMPLEMENTARY NATURE OF ISLAM AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 004254 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR G:JFERRAO AND S/P:KVOLKER E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM KISL IN SUBJECT: INDIA AND THE COMPLEMENTARY NATURE OF ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY REF: SECSTATE 116583 Classified By: PolCouns Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (C) PolOff spoke with Ministry of External Affairs Under Secretary for United Nations Political Affairs Vishwas Nagee SIPDIS September 10, who stated that the Government of India has not yet decided who will represent India at the Ministerial Meeting of Communities of Democracies in Bamako November 15-17. ¶2. (C) In response to reftel, following is a list of various current and former government officials and intellectuals who have spoken publicly in support of democracy and/or on the complementary nature of Islam. While we have not spoken to these individuals specifically about whether they would agree to urge a meeting of Muslim-majority nations on the margins of the Ministerial Meeting of Communities of Democracies in Bamako November 15-17, any of these leaders might be willing to consider such a proposal if asked. ¶3. (C) List of Muslim Leaders: Arif Mohammad Khan, Former Union Minister and Supreme Court Lawyer: Khan was a Cabinet Minister in the Rajiv Gandhi and V. P. Singh governments in the 1980's. Khan, a liberal democrat in his political ideology, became controversial among certain Muslim groups for defending Muslim women's alimony rights after divorce, and for proposing massive reforms in the Muslim community. A practicing Supreme Court lawyer, Khan is a powerful orator. Ambassador Abid Hussain, former Ambassador to the U.S.: Over his career, Hussain has held various senior and executive positions in both state and central governments. He chaired sessions of the UN's Economic and Social Council for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP),and developed trade agreements with the U.S., the former Soviet Union and China. His understanding of Islam blends traditional with modern views. Dr. Syed Mohammad Ammar Rizvi, former Cabinet Minister in Uttar Pradesh: Rizvi is widely respected by state political leaders irrespective of their party affiliations. He represented Shia Islam at the POTUS interfaith roundtable in March 2006 in New Delhi. Known for being balanced in his ideas, Rizvi is an eloquent speaker. Dr. Syed Zafar Mahmood, President, Zakat Foundation of India: Dr. Syed Zafar Mahmood is a senior member of the Indian Revenue Service. Currently serving in the Prime Minister,s office, he advises the Prime Minister on Muslim related issues. He is on special assignment with the Prime Minister,s Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee, which was established last March to examine the social, economic and educational status of Muslims in India. Dr. S. S. Mahdi, Deputy Director General, Indian Council of Cultural Relations; former Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia: Mahdi is a well-known agronomist and commentator on Muslim politics and society in India. He served a full term as the Vice Chancellor of Jami Millia Islamia from 1999 to 2004. Prior to that, he was the representative of the Food and Agricultural Organization in Nepal, Ethopia and Yemen. He is a strong advocate of liberalization and increasing relations between India and the United States. Dr. Khwaja Shani Nizami, Sufi priest and scholar: Nizami is the Sajjadahnash (caretaker) of the renowned Sufi NEW DELHI 00004254 002 OF 002 shrine at Nizamuddin in New Delhi. A scholarly leader of Sufi Islam in India, Nizami is widely respected and an expert on the Sufi tradition. Prof. Imtiaz Ahmad, Political Sociologist: Ahmad studied at Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh and in the U.S., where he spent eight years as a visiting faculty member to various universities with South Asia studies programs. Ahmad is well-respected in the academic community as a fair and objective commentator on Islamic affairs and ethnic and communal relations in modern democracies. He taught political science and sociology in the School of Social Sciences of Jawaharlal Nehru University. Dr. Najma Heptullah, former Deputy Chairperson of the Upper House of Parliament: Dr. Heptulla, a scientist turned politician, is a fourth-term member of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament.) She has served as Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha for three consecutive terms. A Muslim by birth, she belongs to an illustrious family of freedom fighters. She also served as General Secretary of the Congress party in 1986. Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, Islamic Scholar: Considered to be a moderate Muslim thinker and leader, Khan currently heads the New Delhi-based Islamic Centre which he established in 1970. After graduating from a traditional Islamic seminary, Khan turned his attention to modern thought. Well-versed in both classical Islamic learning and modern science, Khan has earned wide respect as an advocate of peace and communal harmony. Dr. Khwaja Muntaqim Ahmad, Supreme Court lawyer: A visiting professor at New Delhi's Indian Law Institute, Ahmad is the author of "Islam's Big 'No' to Terrorism." MULFORD