MACEDONIA: IDENTIFYING "CREDIBLE VOICES" IN MUSLIM

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SKOPJE 000739 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE PLEASE PASS TO NCTC LIAISON JAMES VAN DE VELDE AND ROXANNE CABRAL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL MK SUBJECT: MACEDONIA: IDENTIFYING "CREDIBLE VOICES" IN MUSLIM COMMUNITIES THAT REJECT VIOLENCE REF: STATE 122288 ¶1. (SBU) CONTEXT: In Macedonia, there is a rough correlation between religion and ethnicity; most ethnic Albanians, who comprise 25 percent of the total population, are Muslim, as are most Roma and ethnic Turks. There are also smaller populations of ethnic Macedonian Muslims. Macedonia's Muslim Albanians traditionally have been strongly pro-American and pro-NATO, and have opposed radical Islam. In May of this year -- in response to international and local media reports on the involvement of several Macedonian Albanians from Debar in a terror plot aimed at Ft. Dix, New Jersey -- ethnic Albanian residents of Debar unequivocally and publicly denounced such actions as repugnant and embarrassing to the entire Albanian community. Many ethnic Albanian political leaders also fly the American flag in their offices. They tend to be strongly pro-U.S. because of the positive role they consider the USG to have played during the Kosovo crisis. Radical Islam has yet to find fertile soil in which to expand in Macedonia, in part due to the country's established inter-faith tolerance and in part due to the more moderate Islam planted in Macedonia during the 600-year period of Ottoman rule. ¶2. (SBU) After consulting with members of the country team, Post has identified the following Islamic theologian who might be a "credible voice" for tolerance. The following is keyed to the criteria outlined in reftel: PROF. ISMAIL BARDHI A.) Influence. Prof. Ismail Bardhi, an Islamic scholar, former Dean of the Islamic Theological Faculty in Kondovo, and a believer in inter-faith dialogue who once invited an American professor of Judaism to lecture on the shared Judaeo-Islamic heritage of Abraham, has made public statements promoting inter-faith tolerance. Although Bardi might be willing to make a public written statement against Islamic radicals and the use of violence to further religious aims, his influence has waned since he was ousted from the Theological Faculty in 2006. B.) Biographical data. Bardhi has received education in Islamic theology in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and may have also received some religious instruction in Iran. As noted above, he is a professor of theology and served until 2006 as the Dean of the Islamic Theological Faculty in Kondovo. Bardhi, an ethnic Albanian, is a Sunni Muslim. He was born in 1959, is married, and has an adult daughter. C.) Area of Influence. Although he has published scholarly articles in journals and books published abroad, we believe Bardhi's influence is limited to Macecedonia, mostly in the northwestern part of the country where most ethnic Albanian Muslims reside. D.) Target Audience: Bardhi's stylistic approach is most likely to appeal to educated Muslims in Macedonia. It is unlikely that he would wield much influence in rural areas or among working-class or agriculturist ethnic Albanians. E.) Forums used by the individual to exert influence: Lectures and published works. He does not write for any newspapers, as far as we know, and rarely appears on TV talk shows. F.) Known disagreements and criticisms of US policy: None known. G.) Record of advocating violence against the US: None known. H.) Ideological position regarding "jihad": None known, although we assume that Bardhi's moderate bent would favor the interpretation of jihad as an internal struggle, rather than an external battle against the infidels. I.) Known derogatory information: None. J.) Any calls for violence against this individual by Islamic leaders: In 2006, Bardhi was involved in a short-lived power struggle over who would head the Islamic Faculty in Kondovo. Bardhi complained to us that Islamic Community of Macedonian (ICM) leaders had threatened him with physical injury if he persisted in holding on to his position, and he eventually was ousted and replaced by an ICM candidate. SKOPJE 00000739 002 OF 002 K.) Current relationships with the USG: At the Embassy's request, Bardhi agreed to give a presentation in 2005 on Islam in Macedonia. He has been a regular contact of the Embassy's since then, and has been considered for IV grants as well as a Fulbright Fellowship, although he was not selected for either program. ¶3. (SBU) In addition to Bardhi, the following Muslim leaders could be counted on to issue statements condemning acts of violence against the United States or US citizens, and wield some influence in the Islamic community. They would not, however, be likely to engage in more extensive public expressions against extremism or the use of violence generally by Islamic believers: - Rushdi Lata (50),the Imam of the town of Debar and former head of the Islamic Community of Macedonia; - Jakup Selimovski (60),former head of the Islamic Association of former Yugoslavia; - Bahri Aliu (50),former deputy head of the Islamic Community of Macedonia; - Shaqir Fetahu (50),head of the Islamic Association of Gostivar. ¶4. (U) POC for further enquiries is POLOFF Mariana Neisuler. NAVRATIL