MP Reviews Muslim Issues with Charge

UNCLAS ULAANBAATAR 000234

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/CM, NEA/ARP, SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ECON PHUM SCUL KPAO MG SA
SUBJECT: MP Reviews Muslim Issues with Charge

Ref: 06 Ulaanbaatar

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: During an April 18 meeting with Charge, MP
Sairaan Kader invited the Embassy to participate in a meeting of the
Mongolian Muslim Society in Ulaanbaatar next month. Sairaan, a
supporter of moderate, secular Islam elected from a largely Kazakh
Muslim region in Mongolia's far western province, said he has
recently returned from meetings in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait where he
secured partial funding for the construction of an Islamic Center in
Ulaanbaatar and support for Mongolian Muslim schools. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) On April 18, Charge met with State Great Hural (parliament)
Member Sairaan Kader at Sairaan's request. MO and GSO also attended
the cordial, hour-long meeting. The MP represents the Bayan Ulgii
aimag (province),a predominantly Muslim area in the extreme western
region of Mongolia, with only 25 miles of Chinese territory
separating the aimag from Kazakhstan. Most residents of the
district are ethnically Kazakh; of Mongolia's total population of
2.8 million, about 7% are of Kazakh ethnicity. Charge noted to
Sairaan that he would be visiting the aimag during the week of April
23 and that the Ambassador planned to visit the region later this
summer. (Note: Reftel entitled "The Face of Islam in Mongolia"
summarizes the status of Islam as modest in size, secular and
non-radicalized.)


3. (U) Sairaan stated that the Mongolian Muslim Society is planning
a Congress in Ulaanbaatar from May 18-20. The focus of the Congress
will be Mongolian Muslims' relationship with the state and the
establishment of a federation of Islamic Councils in Mongolia. MP
Sairaan invited the Embassy to observe sessions of the Congress and
the Charge expressed a desire to host a separate meeting with the
Society's key leaders.


4. (SBU) MP Sairaan, who often acts as an unofficial envoy to the
Muslim world for Mongolia, described recent visits to Saudi Arabia
and Kuwait and indicated plans for additional travel to the Middle
East and Muslim nations in South East Asia. The purpose of these
trips is to build relations and seek support for Mongolian Muslim
Society activities and schools. Sairaan indicated that he has
successfully raised US$1,850,000 from Saudi Arabia for the
construction of an Islamic Center in Ulaanbaatar. He said he
expected additional support in the future from Saudi Arabia. Turkey
had also been very forthcoming in supporting education for
Mongolia's imams as well as various development projects. (Note:
Sairaan is credited with obtaining Kuwaiti funding to build a new
parliament building.)


5. (SBU) Sairaan was active in encouraging Saudi Arabia to
establish diplomatic relations with Mongolia, which it did just this
year. He said he was hoping to arrange a special visit to Buyan
Ulgii by Arab Ambassadors resident in Beijing, possibly in June or
July. He asked that the USG support this effort. (Note:
Mongolia's only presence in the Arab world is in Cairo, but they do
have an Embassy in Beijing to work this issue. That said post would
appreciate any assistance


5. (U) Sairaan requested Embassy support for printing and
distributing English education textbooks in Kazakh language to
schools in his district. Charge said the Embassy would look into
providing materials on Islam in America publication and would check
into Kazakh language materials which might be available from Embassy
Astana.

Goldbeck