Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09AMMAN990
2009-04-30 07:33:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Amman
Cable title:
JORDAN,S ISLAMISTS OPPOSE POPE,S MAY 8 VISIT
how-toVZCZCXRO2961 RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHKUK RUEHROV DE RUEHAM #0990 1200733 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 300733Z APR 09 FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4962 INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 1690 RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN 0010 RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 5495
C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 000990
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL SCUL KISL JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN,S ISLAMISTS OPPOSE POPE,S MAY 8 VISIT
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Lawrence Mandel
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 000990
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL SCUL KISL JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN,S ISLAMISTS OPPOSE POPE,S MAY 8 VISIT
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Lawrence Mandel
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: Islamists from Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood
and its political wing have publicly opposed the Pope's
planned May 8-11 visit to the Kingdom. Government officials
have denounced the published criticisms and continue to plan
for the visit. Christian leaders privately say that
criticism from the Islamist camp does not pose a serious
threat to the visit or its goals. End Summary.
2. (U) The spokesman for Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, Jamil
Abu Bakr, issued an April 19 statement asking the Vatican to
postpone Pope Benedict XVI's upcoming visit. The statement,
published on the website of its political wing, the Islamic
Action Front (IAF),called on the Pope to apologize for a
2006 lecture deemed insulting to the Prophet Mohammed and to
Islam. Abu Bakr also called on the Pope to visit Gaza rather
than a Holocaust memorial in Israel as planned, particularly
in view of Israeli operations in Gaza. In a separate
statement, IAF leader Hamzah Mansour added that any visit by
the Pontiff to Israel should be tied to a freeze on Israeli
settlements in the Palestinian territories.
3. (C) Beyond their original publication, the statements
failed to garner much traction in the press or web media.
Christian leaders of all sects did not see the statements by
Islamists as a threat. A prominent member of the Eastern
Orthodox Church and former MP, Odeh Qawas, told PolOff that
the IAF would have been more successful by supporting the
visit while calling upon the Pope to intercede in the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Christian contacts welcomed
the Pope's visit, but downplayed to PolOff its political and
religious significance, viewing it as an opportunity to
promote Jordan as a tourist destination and to encourage the
government to approve requests to open Christian schools and
universities.
Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman
Beecroft
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL SCUL KISL JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN,S ISLAMISTS OPPOSE POPE,S MAY 8 VISIT
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Lawrence Mandel
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: Islamists from Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood
and its political wing have publicly opposed the Pope's
planned May 8-11 visit to the Kingdom. Government officials
have denounced the published criticisms and continue to plan
for the visit. Christian leaders privately say that
criticism from the Islamist camp does not pose a serious
threat to the visit or its goals. End Summary.
2. (U) The spokesman for Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, Jamil
Abu Bakr, issued an April 19 statement asking the Vatican to
postpone Pope Benedict XVI's upcoming visit. The statement,
published on the website of its political wing, the Islamic
Action Front (IAF),called on the Pope to apologize for a
2006 lecture deemed insulting to the Prophet Mohammed and to
Islam. Abu Bakr also called on the Pope to visit Gaza rather
than a Holocaust memorial in Israel as planned, particularly
in view of Israeli operations in Gaza. In a separate
statement, IAF leader Hamzah Mansour added that any visit by
the Pontiff to Israel should be tied to a freeze on Israeli
settlements in the Palestinian territories.
3. (C) Beyond their original publication, the statements
failed to garner much traction in the press or web media.
Christian leaders of all sects did not see the statements by
Islamists as a threat. A prominent member of the Eastern
Orthodox Church and former MP, Odeh Qawas, told PolOff that
the IAF would have been more successful by supporting the
visit while calling upon the Pope to intercede in the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Christian contacts welcomed
the Pope's visit, but downplayed to PolOff its political and
religious significance, viewing it as an opportunity to
promote Jordan as a tourist destination and to encourage the
government to approve requests to open Christian schools and
universities.
Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman
Beecroft