MACEDONIAN ISLAMIC LEADERS ON WAHHABISM,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SKOPJE 000412

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/SCE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/03/2017
TAGS: PGOV KIRF MK
SUBJECT: MACEDONIAN ISLAMIC LEADERS ON WAHHABISM,
DENATIONALIZATION, FISCAL CHALLENGES

REF: 06 SKOPJE 898

Classified By: POLOFF JHUGHES FOR REASONS 1.4(B) & (D)

SUMMARY


1. (SBU) Key Islamic leaders in Macedonia report a slight
decline in the influence of Wahhabists in their muftiates.
The leaders are focused on denationalization of land that
formerly belonged to them, and blame their current financial
challenges on the slow pace of denationalization. Sustained
fiscal shortfalls in the budgets of the muftiates could open
possibilities for more fundamentalist Islamic influence in
those communities, although the experience of one of the
muftiates suggests that fundamentalist influence can be
countered by funding programs that benefit the entire
community. End summary.

OUTREACH TO KEY ISLAMIC LEADERS


2. (U) POLOFF met separately with the muftis (Islamic
scholars and community leaders) of Skopje, Tetovo, and
Gostivar -- which together are home to most of Macedonia's
Muslims -- in late April and early May as part of Post's
outreach to influential Islamic leaders. Key issues
discussed included Wahhabist influence in their muftiates,
denationalization of Islamic Community of Macedonia (ICM)
property, and fiscal challenges facing the Islamic community.

WAHHABIST INFLUENCE WANING?


3. (C) According to Skopje Mufti Taxhedin Bislimi, Wahhabist
influence has been declining in his muftiate over the past
year. He claimed that the former mufti, in collaboration
with the previous government, was more tolerant of Wahhabists
and had allowed Wahhabist-affiliated Muslims to work at the
headquarters of the ICM. That no longer was the case, he
said, asserting that Wahhabist supporters no longer worked at
the ICM headquarters. Bislimi claimed, however, that
Wahhabists still control or strongly influence two important
mosques in Skopje, including the well-known Jaja Pasha
Mosque. At another mosque, he said, one person who had
studied in Saudi Arabia had taken it upon himself to push
Wahhabist teachings on congregation members. Members of the
congregation were not receptive, Bislimi said, although he
admitted that more fundamentalist Islamic teaching could gain
traction with the congregation over time.


4. (C) Gostivar Mufti Shaqir Fetahu said he was not concerned
about the presence of Wahhabists within his muftiate. He
acknowledged that Wahhabists were present in Gostivar, but
stated that he had firm control over all of the mosques in
his muftiate. Fetahu suggested that the Wahhabists in
Gostivar were under close surveillance, and that he was aware
of their movements and activities. He acknowledged that the
Wahhabists could pose a potential challenge to his authority,
but insisted he had taken preemptive measures to reduce their
opportunities for influencing others.

DENATIONALIZATION OF LAND -- SLOW PROGRESS


5. (C) Tetovo Mufti Alifekri Esati and the Skopje Mufti both
complained about lack of progress in denationalizing land
that formerly belonged to the Islamic community. Esati
mentioned that he and ICM Reis (leader) Sulejman Rexhepi had
raised the issue with Prime Minister Gruevski in mid-April.
Esati said Gruevski had pledged to return the Tetovo
muftiate's land in a timely fashion, but Esati was skeptical
that Gruevski would follow through. He claimed that he had
heard the same message from every political leader in
Macedonia for the past 15 years, but that there had been no
positive movement on the issue. Gostivar Mufti Fetahu,
however, noted that the Gostivar muftiate had received
approximately 90 percent of its formerly nationalized land
from the GOM; the remaining 10 percent of the nationalized
lands had been converted to public parks and would remain
under public ownership.


6. (C) Tetovo Mufti Esati stated that he and his staff were
carefully monitoring GOM-owned land that once had belonged to
the muftiate. Muftiate authorities had prevented anyone from
building on the land, in order to avoid future property
claims based on "squatters' rights." Skopje Mufti Bislimi
worried that the government would try to compensate the
muftiate for land currently under its control, instead of
returning it. He warned that the government would undervalue

the property in making any compensation arrangement, and
cited the muftiate of Stip as an example -- the government
allegedly had reimbursed that muftiate at a rate of 25 MKD
per square meter, or less than 0.10 USD per square foot.
Both the Skopje and Tetovo muftis reiterated that the return
to ICM ownership of lands that had been confiscated was
necessary to help ensure the financial health of their
muftiates.

FISCAL CHALLENGES FOR SKOPJE AND TETOVO


7. (SBU) Gostivar Mufti Fetahu, unlike his peers in Skopje
and Tetovo, did not express concerns about the fiscal health
of his muftiate. Showing a keen understanding of the concept
of "soft power," he noted that the muftiate spent money on
community projects in an effort to both improve the
community's standard of living and lessen the influence of
foreign funding that might seek to do the same. Fetahu
underscored his non-partisan approach to funding such
projects, and underscored the importance of ensuring economic
security and opportunity for members of his muftiate.


8. (U) In contrast to Fetahu's more sanguine approach, the
Skopje and Tetovo muftis bemoaned their respective financial
plights. Tetovo Mufti Esati complained that his muftiate had
to rely almost entirely on donations of congregation members,
most of whom were unemployed or poorly-paid laborers.
Despite the overall lack of funding, however, he praised his
congregation members for their generous giving. Skopje Mufti
Bislimi matter-of-factly blamed his predecessor for the
muftiate's financial woes. He explained that the former
mufti had accumulated debts to the GOM of Euros 1.3 million
(approximately 1.7 million USD),which he did not expect
could be repaid anytime soon.

COMMENT


9. (C) Despite the three muftis' general claims that
Wahhabist influence is declining slightly, their relatively
weak fiscal health (with the exception of Gostivar) and the
slow pace of denationalization suggests there is room for
potential expansion of fundamentalist Islamic influence in
those areas. Gostivar's experience shows, however, that
Wahhabist influence can be countered through prudent fiscal
practice (boosted by denationalization receipts) and the
development and funding of programs that benefit the entire
community.
WOHLERS