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 - - - - - - - - - - ¶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 - - - - - - - - - - ¶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 - - - - - - - - - - ¶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