SNAPSHOT: ISLAM IN NEVIS

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000125 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD DEPT FOR WHA/CAR-FORTIN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KISL SOCI PREL PHUM XL SC SUBJECT: SNAPSHOT: ISLAM IN NEVIS REF: A. 07 BRIDGETOWN 1263 ¶B. 07 BRIDGETOWN 1218 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Following-up on contacts made at the Embassy's inaugural Iftar, PolOff met with the leader of the Nevis Muslim Association, as well as with leaders from the local university's Muslim Association. While both groups are small, they are well-integrated into the tiny island community, and warmly welcomed US Embassy engagement. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) On a recent visit to the island of Nevis (the smaller of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis' twin islands),PolOff met with Abdul-Karim Ahmed, the leader of the Nevis Muslim Association. Ahmed, who attended the Embassy's first Iftar in September 2007 (Ref A),is a community activist, entrepreneur, and radio-show host. Ahmed explained that there are two principal Muslim communities on the island: a small contingent of locals (many who have returned from living abroad or are temporarily visiting from Trinidad or Guyana),and a larger group of students attending the Medical University of the Americas (often affectionately referred to by locals as the "Muslim University of the Americas"). The University's website is www.mua.edu. ¶3. (SBU) The Nevis Muslim Association has roughly 30 members, and has a dedicated prayer center that is maintained by Ahmed, who is also the imam. Ahmed noted that when the "musjid" was first opened three years ago, they experienced some discrimination, as some locals would throw rocks at the musjid. The prayer center has also been burglarized multiple times recently. ¶4. (SBU) According to Ahmed, the number of Muslims attending the Medical University of the Americas (MUA) in Nevis is at least 250-300. An Associate Dean of MUA told PolOff that the university has 450 students, and the vast majority of them are Muslims. The students have formed a Muslim Association and have a prayer center on campus. According to Ahmed, the Associate Dean, and some of the students, most of the Muslims at MUA are from the United States and Canada, with very small numbers from Pakistan, India, parts of Africa, and elsewhere. ¶5. (SBU) While in Nevis, PolOff volunteered to meet with a small group of Muslim students from MUA at the Nevis Muslim Association's musjid. Fifteen students attended, all American or Canadian citizens. PolOff answered some questions on absentee voting, and then fielded questions on the United States embargo against Cuba, and the "enemy combatants" being held at Guantanamo Bay. The students emphasized their Association's wholesale rejection of radical Islam as antithetical to the main teachings of the religion, while questioning U.S. policy in Cuba and the Middle East. The Canadian Muslims in particular raised concerns about the human rights of the Muslim prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay. Both the students and Ahmed thanked PolOff for the opportunity to meet, and expressed their desire for increased engagement with the United States Embassy. ¶6. (SBU) Comment: While numerically small, the Muslim community comprises roughly 5-10% of Nevis's population. Since most of the community is centered at MUA--and these students come and go every few years--it is a fluid community that is likely to change in character from time to time. At the moment, and largely due to the influence of Ahmed (a key Embassy contact),the Muslim community on Nevis is peaceful, engaged in the community, and eager to project a positive image for the religion. End Comment. OURISMAN