AMBASSADOR PRESSES FOREIGN MINISTER ON FREEDOM OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000463

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/ELA AND IO/RHS (OSTERMEIER)
GENEVA FOR CASSAYRE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2029
TAGS: PHUM PREL UN EU UK EG
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR PRESSES FOREIGN MINISTER ON FREEDOM OF
EXPRESSION RESOLUTION

REF: A. OSTERMEIER-BERNS E-MAIL 3/13

B. CAIRO 397

C. STATE 20375

Classified By: Ambassador Margaret Scobey for reason 1.4 (b).


1. (C) On March 14, the Ambassador spoke to Foreign Minister
Aboul Gheit regarding Egypt's tabling of a freedom of
expression resolution at the current session of the UN Human
Rights Council (UNHRC). She urged Egypt to withdraw its text
to allow Canada to a run a resolution at the June session of
the council. The Ambassador underscored that the U.S. cannot
accept language in the resolution undermining the freedom of
expression, and pressed Aboul Gheit to separate defamation of
religion from freedom of expression. The Foreign Minister
replied that Egypt's problem is not with the U.S., but with
Europe, he said, where people think they can defame "any
prophet."


2. (C) Separately, European Commission (EC) Delegation
Political Counselor Michael Ryan told us March 15 that he and
the Swedish and Czech ambassadors demarched MFA Assistant
Minister for International Organizations Naela Gabr March 11,
urging the GOE not to run a freedom of expression resolution.
Ryan said the EC was not able to make any headway with Gabr
who claimed that the Africa Group, not the GOE, was driving
the resolution.


3. (C) British EMBASSY officer told us March 15 that on March
12 she demarched MFA Deputy Director for Human Rights Mona
El-Bahtimy who replied that because the EU decided to run the
resolution on religious tolerance at the UNHRC March session,
the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC),the Africa
Group and the Non-Aligned Movement would table the freedom of
expression resolution in March. El-Bahtimy made the same
point to us on March 12.
SCOBEY