MINISTER PREACHES RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE, SHEIKH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000905

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/06/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM PTER YM
SUBJECT: MINISTER PREACHES RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE, SHEIKH
AL-MO'AYAD'S SONS PLEAD ON HIS BEHALF

REF: SANAA 649

Classified By: DCM Nabeel Khoury, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) This is an action request, please see paragraph 7.


2. (C) SUMMARY: On May 1, the CDA, accompanied by poloff and
Damon Stevens from the Office to Monitor and Combat
Anti-Semitism, met with Minister of Religious Affairs Judge
Hamoud al-Hitar to discuss tolerance and dialogue between
faiths. Al-Hitar emphasized Islam's respect for Judaism and
all other faiths, relaying messages from the Holy Qur'an and
practices of the Prophet Mohammed. CDA and al-Hitar explored
ideas for greater cooperation between the Ministry and
Embassy. At the end of the meeting, the CDA received a
surprise visit from the sons of Sheikh Mohammed Hassan
al-Mo'ayad, who is currently in U.S. custody. Al-Mo'ayad's
three sons asked for intervention in three areas:
hospitalization for their ill father (who they claim is
suffering from liver cancer),access to Arabic translations
of prison phone call instructions, and assistance in ensuring
that letters get to and from their father. END SUMMARY

Justice According to the Qur'an and Sunna
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3. (C) Stevens informed the Minister that the purpose of his
visit was to examine the state of the Yemeni Jewish community
and to learn more about the ROYG's experience as an example
of tolerance for its care of its Jewish minority. Al-Hitar
replied by relating a case he had ruled over in 1994. He was
the judge for a case in which two Muslim men murdered a Jew.
He explained that the prevailing notion was to sentence the
men less than what was customary for a murder verdict,
because their victim was Jewish. He said that his conscious
as a Muslim, however, could not allow him to make such a
ruling. He thus put aside religious books of jurisprudence
and reverted back to the Qur'an and practices of the Prophet
Mohammed. He explained that Islam did not discriminate
between faiths, and shared stories of the Prophet's dealings
and friendships with Jews. He added that Islam "deals with
rights based on citizenship," and that Yemeni Jews are,
according to the constitution, equal citizens who inhabited
the country prior to Islam's arrival. His studies of Islam
in this case led to the sentencing of murder on the two men,
as well as a new law stipulating equality between faiths in
criminal rulings.

Continued Cooperation
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4. (U) The Minister reiterated that he intends to use his new
position to create a "national strategy for guidance based on
the Qur'an, Sunna, and Constitution" to promote dialogue.
His aims while at the Ministry are to "deepen unity,"
increase "loyalty to the Ummah," and "promote tolerance."
(NOTE: "Sunna" are the ways and deeds of the Prophet
Mohammed, used as an example to the Muslim "Ummah," which is
the community of Muslims around the world. END NOTE)
Al-Hitar had mentioned this initiative on his April 11
meeting with the Ambassador (see reftel). The CDA and
Minister agreed increasing dialogue and joint activities
between the EMBASSY and Ministry; they focused on
establishing roundtable discussions between the CDA and Imams
as a start toward greater cooperation. This event is
currently being planned.

Sheykh al-Mo'ayad's Sons
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5. (C) At the conclusion of the meeting, the Minister asked
if Sheykh al-Mo'ayad's sons, who were waiting outside, could
enter to speak to the CDA. During the encounter, they asked
for assistance in three areas.
- The first: hospitalization and proper medical treatment for
their father, who they claimed has liver cancer.
- The second: translation of phone call instructions into
Arabic. They explained that when they speak to their father
on the phone they cannot understand the instructions that are
in English. This leads to phone calls getting cut many
times, but they do not know how to avoid the dropped calls,
since they cannot understand the English instructions.
- The third: assistance in receiving and sending letters.
They claim that their father does not receive any of the
family's letters, and that if they receive his letters, which
is on rare occasion, they receive them months after the time
they were sent. They asked for assistance in making sure
that letters can get to and from him.


6. (C) The CDA assured the men that their father was
receiving proper medical attention and also commented that he
had not heard about a cancer diagnosis, but that al-Mo'ayad

was being treated for another ailment.


7. (C) Action Request: Please advise on what further details
can be released to the family of al-Mo'ayad, and what, if
anything, can be done to address the problems related to
telephone calls and written correspondence.


8. (C) COMMENT: Judge Hamoud al-Hitar is an exceptional
choice for Minister of Religious Affairs; with his ideas of
respect among faiths, he plays a crucial role in countering
voices of intolerance and on positively influencing Yemeni
society. Post expects relations between the Ministry and
Embassy to flourish under his tenure. Al-Hitar stayed true
to his reputation for pushing dialogue by allowing the sons
of Sheykh al-Mo'ayad to speak to the CDA. The encounter was
cordial, with al-Mo'ayad's sons expressing appreciation for
the CDA's time and any possible assistance. END COMMENT
KRAJESKI