Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08JEDDAH254
2008-06-10 15:23:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Jeddah
Cable title:  

MOSQUE SERMONS FOR SAUDI ARABIA APRIL 11, 18, AND

Tags:  PGOV SOCI KISL SA 
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DE RUEHJI #0254/01 1621523
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 101523Z JUN 08
FM AMCONSUL JEDDAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0746
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000254 

SIPDIS

RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/09/2018
TAGS: PGOV SOCI KISL SA
SUBJECT: MOSQUE SERMONS FOR SAUDI ARABIA APRIL 11, 18, AND
25: EASTERN PROVINCE, MECCA, AND MEDINA

Classified By: Acting Consul General CB Toney for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000254

SIPDIS

RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/09/2018
TAGS: PGOV SOCI KISL SA
SUBJECT: MOSQUE SERMONS FOR SAUDI ARABIA APRIL 11, 18, AND
25: EASTERN PROVINCE, MECCA, AND MEDINA

Classified By: Acting Consul General CB Toney for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).


1. (C) BEGIN SUMMARY: In the Eastern Province on April 11, a
substitute Imam at the Omar bin Abd al-Aziz Grand Mosque
focused his sermon on justice, equality, and the increase in
the price of oil in the past few years. The following week
during the April 18 sermon, the Imam discussed prayer as one
of the key fundamentals of Islam, and on April 25, the topic
was life after death.


2. (U) At the Mecca Grand Mosque, Sheikh Dr. Sa'ud al-Shuraym
on April 11 urged Muslims to emulate the Prophet Muhammad,
and on April 18, emphasized that slavery belonged to God
alone and stated that those who desire a religion other than
Islam will be lost. Sheikh Usama Bin-Abdallah Khayyat on
April 25 spoke on Muslims' familial responsibilities. In
Medina, the April 11 and 18 sermons covered similar topics
while the April 25 sermon featured a call on Muslims to
perform honest work and to avoid cheating, embezzlement, and
procrastination. END SUMMARY.

--------------
EASTERN PROVINCE
--------------

ENCOURAGES MUSLIMS TO FOLLOW THE SAYINGS AND DEEDS OF MUHAMMAD


3. (C) On April 11 a substitute Imam (in the absence of
Sheikh al-Munajjid) at the Omar bin Abd al-Aziz Grand Mosque
focused his sermon on justice, equality, and price increases
of the past 1-2 years. He urged Muslims to follow the
"Sunna" (the sayings and deeds of Muhammad) by practicing
God's teachings and setting good examples. He added that
equality, fairness, and honesty are part of a Muslim's
religious duties and stated that "justice" was the "key" to
Heaven.

FOCUSES ON PRAYERS AS A "PILLAR OF ISLAM"


4. (C) Another substitute Imam on April 18 spoke extensively
about prayers, as prayer is one of the five pillars of Islam.
(NOTE: Muslims consider the five pillars of Islam the basis
of the religion and include: prayer, fasting during the month
of Ramadan, profession of faith, alms giving, and pilgrimage
to the holy city of Mecca. END NOTE.) The Imam called on
Muslims to focus on their actions as well as the Koranic

passages they recite while performing their prayers. He also
criticized those who perform prayers "robot-like," going
through the motions mechanically "while day-dreaming,"
describing such conduct as "unbecoming" of good Muslims. He
added that those who ignore the daily calls to prayer run the
risk of being condemned to hell.

SPEAKS ON THE PATH TO HEAVEN


5. (C) On April 25, the Imam spoke on life after death. He
explained that two angels monitor people's daily performance
and that they have the responsibility for tracking everything
people say and do. He said the best way to live life is to
treat everything as "temporary and transitory." Referring to
those who believe they have been wronged or oppressed, he
said that God will reward them for their suffering either in
this life or the next. He encouraged Muslims to work hard in
order to earn God's pleasure for he alone "holds the keys to
Heaven."

--------------
MECCA
--------------

URGES MUSLIMS TO FOLLOW THE TRADITIONS OF MUHAMMAD


6. (U) At the Mecca Grand Mosque on April 11, Sheikh Salih Al
Talib discussed the qualities of the Prophet Muhammad. The
Imam quoted Koranic verses as well as statements by some of
Muhammad's companions and narrators of Muhammad's sayings in
which they spoke about his character. He then encouraged
Muslims to follow his tradition.

STATES SLAVERY ALONE BELONGS TO GOD


7. (U) Sheikh Dr. Sa'ud al-Shuraym on April 18 focused his
sermon on slavery and stated that it "should only be to Him
and not to any other one." Al-Shuraym added: "Consequently,
slavery will not take its right position except through
obedience, rightness, and adherence to the right path so that
justice and faith in God prevail." He continued: "Slavery is
religion, and religion for God is Islam." He then quotes a

JEDDAH 00000254 002 OF 002


Koranic verse (The Family of Imran, 3:85): "If anyone desires
a religion other than Islam never will it be accepted of him;
and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who
have lost."

HIGHLIGHTS MUSLIMS' FAMILIAL RESPONSIBILITIES


8. (U) On April 25 Sheikh Usama Bin-Abdallah Khayyat
discussed the responsibilities of Muslims in society. He
said that every Muslim is responsible for his family and that
he can express this by "reforming and educating them and
ordering them to enjoin what is right and to forbid what is
wrong." The preacher also urged parents to watch their
children and to observer which web sites they access on the
Internet. Regarding the responsibilities of the wife, the
Imam said that "It is to safeguard the house of her husband
and to take care of her children...."

--------------
MEDINA
--------------

WARNS AGAINST DEVIATING FROM "THE RIGHT PATH"


9. (U) On April 11 at the Medina Grand Mosque, Sheikh
Abd-al-Muhsin Al Qasim warned Muslims against Satan's
continued attempts to persuade them to deviate from "the
right path." He added that fortunately, God provided humans
with servants to help discern what is right and to encourage
them to do good deeds. The following week on April 18, he
urged Muslims to rely on God and to accept "what he ordained
for them."

CALLS ON MUSLIMS TO PERFORM HONEST WORK


10. (U) Sheikh Salah al-Budayr on April 25 spoke on the
importance of mastering one's work and working toward
possessing the skills to do so. He added that one should
perform their work on time, otherwise they should not receive
pay until completion. He also said that one should not sign
a contract to perform work unless they are sure they are
sufficiently qualified. He then criticized those who falsely
claim they are skilled, which he said results in "painful
tragedies" and "horrible material damage." He concluded by
calling on Muslims to avoid "dishonesty, the breaking of
promises, procrastination, cheating, embezzlement, and the
lessening of the value of people's rights."
TONEY