CORRECTED COPY: VATICAN-AFFILIATED INSTITUTE HAILS LETTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000165

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/9/2032
TAGS: PREL PHUM SOCI KIRF VT
SUBJECT: CORRECTED COPY: VATICAN-AFFILIATED INSTITUTE HAILS LETTER
FROM MUSLIM SCHOLARS

REF: VATICAN 00151

VATICAN 00000165 001.2 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: Christopher J. Sandrolini, Charge, Embassy
Vatican.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
CORRECTED COPY: ADDED ADDRESSEE


1. (C) Summary: The president of the Vatican-affiliated
Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies has hailed "A Common
Word", the letter that 138 Muslim scholars have recently
addressed to the Pope and other prominent Christian leaders
inviting them to a theological dialogue, as an unprecedented and
extremely important document for Muslim-Christian relations. The
institute has issued a press release welcoming the letter. The
Vatican's senior official on inter-religious dialogue, Cardinal
Tauran, has stated that the Holy See will respond to the letter.
(Note: See last paragraph for suggested Department action. End
note.) End summary.


2. (C) DCM and Poloff met on October 24 with the President of
the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI),
Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, to seek his views on "A Common Word"
(reftel) and its potential to counterbalance religious
extremism. Ayuso said the letter was a strong sign of good will
on the part of the senders, but more importantly had the
potential to serve as a guiding document for all Muslims.
Because it was signed by a large and diverse group of scholars
that had reached "a consensus" on the issue, Muslims could
legitimately consider the document a religiously authoritative
source. The letter, he added, is a useful diplomatic tool to
foster dialogue and a document that should appeal to faith
communities because it addresses transcendental issues. Ayuso
noted that voices of Islamic extremists have been louder than
that of moderates, and that documents like "A Common Word" help
to reverse this trend.


3. (C) Throughout history, Ayuso said, "there have been debates
and polemics between Christians and Muslims, with each side
trying to convince the other about the rightfulness of its own
views. We don't need more polemics. This letter is different."
Ayuso noted that the signatories of the letter did not claim to
officially represent specific communities, and thought this was
in fact an advantage that had allowed the initiative to
progress. He did not expect any Muslim scholars or religious
leaders to oppose the document.


4. (C) Ayuso said that the letter came as a surprise for the
Vatican, which only learned about it the day before its release.
He was certain that the Holy See would respond to it, and that
Cardinal Bertone, the Holy See's Secretary of State (i.e.,
foreign minister),would be personally involved. Ayuso noted
that while the letter was addressed to the Pope as well as to
the heads of the world's largest Christian churches and
denominations, the Vatican would speak only for the Catholic
Church in its response. It would be too difficult, he added, to
coordinate a response among all the addressees, some of whom
--such as the Archbishop of Canterbury-- had already praised the
document publicly. Ayuso was pleased that the letter's primary
addressee was the Pope. (Note: The list of addressees starts
with the Pope, whose name stands by itself, followed by the
names and titles of other addressees in a separate paragraph.
End note.)


5. (U) The President of the Pontifical Council for
Inter-religious Dialogue, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, stated in
an interview to Vatican Radio on October 23 that the Vatican
will "certainly" respond to the letter, which in his opinion
evidenced a willingness to collaborate on peace through religion.


6. (U) PISAI issued a long press release October 25 welcoming "A
Common Word", and praising the non-polemical character of the
document. The PISAI response says of "A Common Word" that it is
a "highly significant event that we cannot fail to notice and
must accentuate its importance." PISAI expresses appreciation
for the broad scope of the text, wide range of signatories and
addresses, and perspective of the drafters not as members
writing on behalf of the umma, but rather as partners with
humanity. PISAI is also impressed by the bold call for love of
God and humanity and willingness to use inclusive language drawn
from the Bible. At the same time, PISAI commends the willingness
of the drafters to "challenge us" while not losing sight of the
genuine problem of religious freedom. Most striking, PISAI
comments on the presence in "A Common Word" of a "a new and
creative attitude to the Koranic text and that of the Prophetic
tradition" -- making use of historic interpretations.


7. (C) Comment: Ayuso and his colleagues at PISAI are experts on
Islam and Christian-Islamic relations. His views on the possible
impact of the letter underscore its potential medium and long
term impact, rather than its immediate application to any
specific situation. Other Vatican officials with whom we have
spoken see the letter as a vindication of the Pope's "prophetic"
Regensburg address, without which --they maintain-- moderate

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Muslim scholars might not have reached out in pursuit of
dialogue and to reject violence. Ayuso, on the other hand,
traced this initiative to September 11, 2001 and its aftermath.


8. (C) Embassy Vatican again draws to the attention of the
Department and other embassies the groundbreaking and dramatic
nature of "A Common Word". Like the Church, Western governments
have often spoken of the difficulty of dealing with Islam
because it lacks a centralized structure of authority and
because Muslims have little tradition of exegesis. At a stroke,
"A Common Word" has addressed both of these concerns: it is a
bold attempt to create a community consensus which has great
potential significance to influence Muslims everywhere over
time; and it opens the door in a surprising way to the
possibility of interpreting holy scripture.


9. (C) We urge the Department to welcome publicly the issuance
of "A Common Word" and to see it as a building block for efforts
against religious extremism.
ROONEY