SURINAME: POSITIVE REACTION TO THE PRESIDENT'S

UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000166 SENSITIVE SIPDIS WHA/CAR FOR JROSHOLT WHA/PDA FOR LCORWIN AND TPICKREL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO NS SUBJECT: SURINAME: POSITIVE REACTION TO THE PRESIDENT'S CAIRO SPEECH REF: STATE 55334 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Three Surinamese TV stations broadcasted the President's Cairo speech and all four national daily newspapers gave it positive media coverage. Surinamers pride themselves on the religious harmony in their own multi-cultural society, and President Obama's message along those lines will be widely embraced. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) Despite inconvenient timing (the President's speech aired during Suriname's morning work commute: 7:10 AM Suriname time),Surinamese broadcast media gave the event substantial coverage. The speech was broadcast live on three of the ten major television stations, and at least one other station carried partial rebroadcasts of the speech along with commentary from BBC and CNN. Radio stations included highlights from the speech during their broadcast news coverage. Suriname's one afternoon daily newspaper provided same-day coverage, and the other three national newspapers (morning papers) carried positive coverage of the speech the following day, including a front page article in the newspaper of record, De Ware Tijd. Another newspaper featured the headline "Positive Reactions to Obama's Speech." 3 (U) PDOff invited three prominent Muslim religious leaders to his home for a breakfast viewing party; although all regretted that they could not attend for work or health-related reasons, this courtesy invitation underscored the significance and importance of this speech and augmented the good will generated from the speech itself. One of these invitees, the Secretary of the Surinamese Islamic Society and Chief Editor of a Surinamese national daily newspaper, Mr. James Lallmohamed, remarked to PD Assistant that he believes that all Surinamese Muslims share this positive reaction. Comments from various other Surinamers to PDOff were positive and included remarks around the efficacy of the President's approach and the notion that the President is "working towards peace." Post prominently featured the SPOTLIGHT USA "A New Beginning" link on its homepage; this linked to America.gov's coverage of the President's speech and provided users with the opportunity to receive speech-related SMS updates. ¶4. (SBU) COMMENT: Surinamers are proud of Suriname's peaceful, multi-religious society, so any message from the United States promoting peace and intercultural harmony will be warmly embraced. Post will continue to monitor the Surinamese reaction to the President's speech. END COMMENT. SCHREIBER HUGHES