QATAR - DEPORTATIONS DROPPED FOR 31 US CITIZENS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 000352

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/27/2019
TAGS: PREL PHUM KIRF CASC QA
SUBJECT: QATAR - DEPORTATIONS DROPPED FOR 31 US CITIZENS

REF: A. DOHA 333

B. DOHA 345

Classified By: Ambassador Joseph E. LeBaron, for reasons 1.4 (b, d).

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(C) KEY POINTS
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-- Minister of State for Interior Affairs Abdullah Khalid Al
Thani informed Ambassador May 28 that the deportation orders
for all 31 Americans have been rescinded.

-- Shaykh Abdullah was emphatic: the Americans had broken
the law. He asked that Embassy help explain Qatar's
proselytization and religious freedom laws to the American
community.

-- Al Thani emphasized that Qatar watches all religious
activities closely, including Muslim activities. For
example, all Muslim Friday sermons are pre-approved by the
government and limited to about 15 minutes. Mosques are
required to close 10 minutes after the conclusion of Friday
prayers.

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(C) COMMENTS
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-- This is a good outcome, perhaps the best possible. It
also reflects the helpful intervention of the Prime Minister,
the Armed Forces Chief of Staff, and senior officials at the
MFA, all of whom Ambassador contacted about the issue early
on. At least one, the Chief of Staff, talked to the Amir
about the deportation orders.

-- The quick action by these senior officials indicates the
strong desire by Qatar's leadership for better bilateral
relations, especially better political relations.

-- Embassy officials will meet, at Shaykh Abdullah's
recommendation, with MFA officials next week to discuss
communicating Qatar's religious laws more clearly and more
widely to the American community.

End Key Points and Comments.


1. (C) Ambassador LeBaron and Consular Section Chief Timothy
Ponce called May 28th on Minister of State for Interior
Affairs Abdullah Khalid Al Thani at his office at the
Ministry of Interior (MOI).


2. (C) Ambassador told Al Thani that all of the Americans
involved informed U.S. Embassy staff that their deportation
orders had been rescinded. Was that true?


3. (C) Yes, Al Thani replied. Everything had been stopped
due to the Ambassador's interest in their cases, even though
the Americans had broken Qatar's laws. Qatar wanted
excellent relations with the United States.


4. (C) Ambassador thanked Al Thani for the government's
leniency and noted that the U.S. Embassy wanted to help
explain Qatar's laws to the American citizen community to
ensure this didn't occur again.


5. (C) Ambassador asked Al Thani if his Ministry could
provide a contact for the Christian groups in Qatar, or if
the U.S. Embassy should direct them to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (MFA),which currently handles liaison with
other religious groups in Qatar.


6. (C) Without addressing the point of contact issue
directly, Al Thani replied that the Government of Qatar (GOQ)
supports religious dialogue and openness to other religions,
not just Christianity. He asked that the U.S. Embassy help
the GOQ by explaining Qatar's laws to these and other
Americans to be sure this does not occur again.


7. (C) Al Thani continued that the GOQ welcomes the other
nationalities who come to work and live in Qatar and respects
their religions. The GOQ respects others beliefs and wants
to work with them. Christians are free to do whatever they
wish inside their churches, and the MOI will help ensure
their security and assist the MFA with reviewing requests to
sponsor visitors from other countries who desire to speak at
churches.


8. (C) The GOQ wishes everyone to leave their religion inside
their places of worship, Al Thani made clear. Religious
activities in Doha's Industrial Area and in public are
illegal and could risk not only the individual's safety but

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public security.


9. (C) However, Al Thani pointed out that Christians were not
being held to a separate standard. The GOQ watches all
religious activities, including those by the Muslim
community. As an example, all Friday sermons are
pre-approved and must conclude by a set time. After the
Friday sermon, no one is allowed to stay in the mosque more
than 10 minutes; those who do and the mosques where the
sermons go long are watched closely. He said that the mosque
is a place to pray, not a place to talk about politics, stir
dissent against other religions or countries, or to discuss
wars in the region.


10. (C) Ambassador thanked Al Thani for his quick response
and asked how the U.S. Embassy could assist the GOQ's efforts
to ensure residents in Qatar understood Qatar's law. Al
Thani asked the Ambassador to meet with Saoud Al Mahmoud,
Director of the MOI's International Cooperation Department,
to discuss the law and explain it to the American Community.

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FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS
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11. (SBU) Ambassador, Con Chief and Poloff expect to meet
with Al Mahmoud and his staff next week to discuss Qatar's
religious freedom laws.


12. (SBU) Con Chief will call the Americans involved to
inform them of the MOI's formal rescission of the deportation
orders.


13. (SBU) Following our meeting with Al Mahmoud, Con Chief
will organize a meeting with the Americans involved and other
interested Americans to explain Qatar's religious freedom
laws and what they mean for Americans living in Qatar. We
will also update our current consular guidance and religious
freedom reporting as necessary based on the results of this
meeting.

LeBaron