PRESIDENTIAL ENTREPRENEURIAL SUMMIT - ENGAGING

UNCLAS COPENHAGEN 000543 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR S/P:GBEHRMAN, R:SNOOR-ALI, EUR/NB:JKRARUP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EAID PREL SOCI KISL DA SUBJECT: PRESIDENTIAL ENTREPRENEURIAL SUMMIT - ENGAGING MUSLIM COMMUNITY REF: STATE 112468 (U) SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. NOT FOR INTERNET. ¶1. (SBU) This message addresses reftel action items due November 30. Post welcomes the opportunity to participate in this initiative, even though the economic context for Muslims in Denmark is substantially different from the norm in the Muslim world. While Denmark's population is largely homogeneous and culturally Christian, it does include an immigrant community of some 300,000 people (about seven percent of the population) concentrated in Copenhagen and a few other cities. Most of the immigrants are Muslims - but from a wide range of countries and ethnic groups, constituting distinct communities with varying degrees of religious observance. ¶2. (U) INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP: Ambassador has constituted an interagency working group on Muslim entrepreneurship comprising Pol-Econ, Public Affairs and FCS. ¶3. (SBU) NOMINATIONS TO ATTEND THE PRESIDENTIAL SUMMIT: Post proposes the following ten nominees: Mr. Imran Hussein, Mr. Mudassar Iqbal, Mr. Enan Galaly, Mr. Farrokh Nassehi, Ms. Huzan Yilderim, Mr. Human Shojaee, Ms. Nazlihan Arikan, Mr. Hamid al-Mousti, Ms. Rawnak Natour Svendsen, and Mr. Faisel Sethi. The list with justifications is being emailed to Greg Behrman of S/P as per reftel. ¶4. (U) ROUNDTABLE: The Ambassador chaired a roundtable November 25 with seven Muslim interlocutors - immigrants as well as native-born Danish citizens - with origins in Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, and Tunisia. Several of them asserted that there are no structural challenges in Denmark specific to Muslims; that said, several said Muslims often have to overcome mistrust due to their religious affiliation, in order to win clients. ¶5. (U) PROPOSED PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ACTIVITIES: Post intends to carry out the following activities: - hold further roundtables to cultivate contacts; - add a link to the Embassy webpage connecting to information about the summit; - interview those selected to attend the summit before they travel; - debrief them after the summit; - arrange a follow-up representational event hosted by the Ambassador. FULTON