INVITATION TO AMBASSADOR VERVEER TO VISIT MALAYSIA

UNCLAS KUALA LUMPUR 000640

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AMBASSADOR VERVEER AND EAP ASSISTANT SECRETARY CAMPBELL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON OEXC OSCI PREL SCUL SENV SOCI TNGD TSPL
KPAO, MY, KISL
SUBJECT: INVITATION TO AMBASSADOR VERVEER TO VISIT MALAYSIA

REF: A) KUALA LUMPUR 608
-- B) STATE 71325


1. In the weeks since President Obama's June 4 Cairo speech to the
Muslim world, many Malaysian Muslims have welcomed an opportunity
for new dialogue and engagement with the U.S. based on partnership
and mutual respect. The advent of the new administrations in
Washington and in KL has introduced a positive shift in views toward
the U.S. Post is renewing engagement with Muslim audiences in
government, education, civil society and elsewhere in Malaysian
society. We believe one avenue for progress is a series of
interactions between Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues
Verveer and our key Muslim contacts. To that end Ambassador Keith
extends an invitation to Ambassador Verveer to visit Malaysia at a
convenient date.


2. Ambassador Keith spoke recently at a historic gathering of over
200 dynamic Muslim women activists from around the world who
gathered in Kuala Lumpur for the Cordoba Initiative's Women's
Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE) conference
entitled Muslim Women: Building Institutions, Creating Change
conference. WISE Founder Daisy Khan saw the conference as an
opportunity to build on the change President Obama highlighted in
his speech in Cairo. The goal of the conference was to build a
network of Muslim women to challenge distorted interpretations of
Islam and increase the social-economic self-determination of Muslim
women worldwide.


3. The organizers had invited Ambassador Verveer to speak at the
WISE conference. While the Ambassador's schedule precluded her
attendance this time, we hope to put the organizers in touch with
Ambassador Verveer and would like to invite her to Malaysia to speak
to audiences in support of innovative grassroots initiatives
supporting Muslim women. If Ambassador Verveer were to come to
Malaysia, we would organize meetings and speaking events for her
with post contacts in the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community
Development, NGOs working on programs to increase women's access to
education and health care, and educational institutions that ensure
that women's rights are fully acknowledged. We hope that Ambassador
Verveer will find time in her calendar to schedule a trip to
Malaysia in the very near future to assist our efforts in partnering
with a moderate Muslim-majority country to support the advancement
of women.

KEITH