ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM, IRAN, AND NIGER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NIAMEY 005135


PARIS FOR MORAN; LONDON FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/07
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID SOCI NG IR KISL
SUBJECT: ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM, IRAN, AND NIGER

REF: NIAMEY 3264

CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR CHARLES O. CECIL. REASON:
1.5(D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: MOST NIGERIENS BELIEVE ISLAMIC
FUNDAMENTALISM CONSTITUTES A LONG-TERM THREAT TO THE
SECULAR STATE ESTABLISHED UNDER NIGER'S CONSTITUTION.
IRAN IS WORKING QUIETLY AND WITH SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES
TO PROMOTE SHI'ISM IN NIGER. SHIA RELIGIOUS LEADERS IN
NORTHERN NIGERIA ARE ALSO A FORCE FOR CONSERVATISM IN
THE MARADI AREA OF NIGER. GON OFFICIALS ARE SUSPICIOUS
OF IRAN, BUT FOR THE MOMENT TOLERATE ITS PRESENCE AND
ITS ACTIVITIES, PROBABLY IN THE HOPE OF RECEIVING
ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE FROM THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT IN THE
FUTURE. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE GON IS DETERMINED TO TAKE
STRONG ACTIONS AGAINST THE EXPRESSION OF FUNDAMENTALIST,
SHIA DOCTRINES WITH THE AIM OF MINIMIZING NIGERIAN
INFLUENCE IN NIGERIEN RELIGIOUS CIRCLES. POVERTY AND
DESPAIR MAY BE A GREATER SOURCE OF CONSERVATIVE AND
FUNDAMENTALIST TENDENCIES IN NIGER THAN EITHER OF THESE
TWO OUTSIDE INFLUENCES, BUT TNE OUTSIDE INFLUENCES CAN
REINFORCE SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS TRENDS ALREADY UNDER WAY.
REDUCING NIGER'S POVERTY IS LIKELY TO BE THE MOST
PRODUCTIVE WAY TO HALT THE SPREAD OF FUNDAMENTALIST
IDEAS IN NIGER. END SUMMARY.

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IS ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM A THREAT TO NIGER?
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2. (C) "EXTREME POVERTY IS A GREATER CAUSE OF ISLAMIC
FUNDAMENTALISM THAN IRANIAN EFFORTS," SAID FORMER PRIME
MINISTER HAMA AMADOU TO AMBASSADOR CECIL OVER LUNCH ON
OCTOBER 23. "WHETHER FUNDAMENTALISM GROWS OR NOT WILL
DEPEND ON WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT MAKES PROGRESS IN
COMBATTING POVERTY," ADDED AMADOU. IN NIGER'S CURRENT
POSITION (NUMBER 173 OUT OF 175 COUNTRIES) ON THE UNDP'S
1997 REPORT ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, ONE WOULD HAVE TO
CONCLUDE THAT NIGER IS ONE OF THE MOST FERTILE GROUNDS
ONE COULD FIND FOR FUNDAMENTALISM TO TAKE ROOT.


3. (U) GON OFFICIALS TAKE THE THREAT OF FUNDAMENTALISM
SERIOUSLY; A NUMBER OF OFFICIALS HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR
DETERMINATION THAT IT NOT SPREAD. MARADI AND ITS
NEIGHBOR GUIDAN-ROUMDJI ARE CONSIDERED TO BE THE CENTER
OF FUNDAMENTALIST TENDENCIES IN NIGER; SOME MUSLIMS IN
THAT AREA CONSIDER TNEMSELVES SHI'ITES. ACCORDING TO
THE FORMER PREFET OF MARADI, LTC MALLAM OUBANDAWAKI,
FUNDAMENTALIST MOVEMENTS IN NIGER DATE FROM THE 1980S.
(OBVIOUSLY THE COLONEL WAS THINKING IN MODERN TERMS OF
REFERENCE. MANY HISTORIANS QE THE REFORM MOVEMENT LED
BY OUSMANE DAN FODIO IN NORTHERN NIGERIA AROUND 1800 AS
A FUNDAMENTALIST MOVEMENT, THAT IS, A RETURN TO THE
LITERAL INTERPRETATION OF THE KORAN AND ITS STRICT
APPLICATION TO DAILY LIFE.) IN THE 1990S THESE EARLIER
FUNDAMENTALIST TENDENCIES HAVE BECOME MORE VIGOROUS,
SAID THE COLONEL, PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE WAVE OF
DEMOCRATIZATION SWEEPING THE AFRICAN CONTINENT.
OUBANDAWAKI CONSIDERS THE ORIGIN OF THESE FUNDAMENTALIST
TENDENCIES TO BE NORTHERN NIGERIA, WHERE CERTAIN
RELIGIOUS LEADERS ARE DIRECTING A CONSCIOUS CAMPAIGN TO
SPREAD THEIR VERSION OF ISLAM INTO NIGER. THE OBJECTIVE
OF THE FUNDAMENTALISTS, IN THE COLONEL'S VIEW, IS TO
ESTABLISH AN ISLAMIC STATE IN WHICN SHARIA LAW IS THE
LAW OF THE LAND.


4. (U) MINISTER OF INTERIOR IDI ANGO OMAR, IN JANUARY,
TRACED THE RISE OF FUNDAMENTALISM IN NIGER BACK TO 1989.
PUTTING HIS OWN SPECIAL TWIST ON IT, HE ACCUSED THE
FUNDAMENTALISTS OF BEING INCLINED TO USE VIOLENCE TO
SPREAD THEIR VIEWS, AND ACCUSED THEM OF WORKING IN
CONCERT WITH THE OPPOSITION TO PRESIDENT BARE, WHICH WAS
AT THE TIME PREPARING A SERIES OF PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONS
TO MARK THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE BARE COUP.


5. (C) FORMER GENDARMERIE COMMAWDER GENERAL YOUSOUFA
MAIGA, NOW AMBASSADOR TO ALGERIA, EXPRESSED TO THE
AMBASSADOR HIS OWN CONCERN OVER FUWDAMENTALISM, CITING
IRANIAN ADVERTISEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES, PLUS AN EID AL-
FITR CLASH BETWEEN SHI'ITES AND SECURITY FORCES IN THE
MARADI AREA LAST FEBRUARY. MAIGA VOWED THAT THE GON
WOULD NOT LET FUNDAMENTALISM GET OUT OF CONTROL. IN THE
INCIDENT REFERRED TO, SHIA MUSLIMS HAD WANTED TO
CELEBRATE THE EID AL-FITR A DAY LATER THAN THE OFFICIAL
DAY OBSERVED BY NIGER'S SUNNI MAJORITY, BUT SECURITY
FORCES STOPPED THE OBSERVANCE. THE AMBASSADOR ASKED
NIGER'S FORMER DCM FROM ITS WASHINGTON EMBASSY WHY THIS
POINT SHOULD BE IMPORTANT TO GON AUTHORITIES. HE GAVE
TWO REASONS. FIRST, ISLAM IS A COMMUNAL RELIGION; THE
COMMUNITY IS SUPPOSED TO DO IT TOGETHER. "IF 900 PEOPLE
WANT TO CELEBRATE A FESTIVAL ON A CERTAIN DAY, YOU CAN'T
HAVE 100 OTHERS DOING IT SOME OTHER TIME. IT ISN'T
RIGHT," HE SAID. SECONDLY, THE GOVERNMENT WISHES TO
MINIMIZE NIGERIAN INFLUENCE BECAUSE NIGERIANS ARE MORE
PRONE TO VIOLENCE THAN ARE NIGERIENS. NIGERIA'S ISLAMIC
CALENDAR HAS OFTEN PUT IT ONE DAY OFF THE CALENDAR
OBSERVED IN NIGER, SAID THE DCM; IT'S A SMALL POINT BUT
IT CAN'T BE IGNORED. ANOTHER NIGERIEN SAID THAT THE
SHIAS ARE JUST TESTING THE GOVERNMENT. IF THEY GET AWAY
WITH ONE SMALL CHANGE, THEN THEY WILL FEEL EMBOLDENED,
AND PRESS FOR OTHERS.

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IRAN'S ROLE
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6. (C) CERTAIN EVIDENCE OF IRAN'S PRESENCE AND ACTIVITY
CAN BE EASILY SEEN IN NIAMEY: A SCHOOL, A HEALTH CLINIC,
AND A SMALL TRADE FAIR LAST JANUARY. THE SCHOOL ACCEPTS
NIGERIEN CHILDREN FROM AGE FIVE THROUGH THE LATE TEENAGE
YEARS. WHEN THE FORMER ALGERIAN AMBASSADOR EXPRESSED
CONCERN OVER THE SCHOOL TO GON OFFICIALS, HE WAS TOLD
THAT PERMISSION HAD NEVER BEEN GIVEN TO OPEN IT AND THAT
IT WOULD BE CLOSED, BUT THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED YET.
ACCORDING TO THE ALGERIAN, PATIENTS AT THE CLINIC, WHICH
OFFERS FREE CARE FOR THE NEEDIEST, ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO
SHIA INDOCTRINATION. ONE SOUS-PREFET TOLD THE
AMBASSADOR THAT WHEN SUNNI MUSLIMS BECOME SHIAS, THE
IRANIANS REWARD THEM WITH MONEY TO BUY NEW CLOTHES "SO
THAT THEY CAN BE PROPERLY DRESSED WHEN THEY GO TO THE
MOSQUE." IN JUNE THE FORMER SAUDI CHARGE TOLD THE
AMBASSADOR THAT THE IRANIANS WERE SPENDING A LOT OF
MONEY IN NIGER TO PROMOTE THEIR RELIGION AND THEIR
IMAGE. HE DID NOT THINK THEY WERE ACHIEVING MUCH, BUT
ADDED THAT THEY WERE TAKING THE LONG-TERM VIEW. THE
TRADE FAIR LASTED A WEEK AND CONSISTED OF HANDICRAFTS
AND SMALL MANUFACTURED ITEMS DISPLAYED BY 24 FIRMS. THE
EXHIBIT WAS OPENED BY THE DIRECTOR OF AFRICAN AFFAIRS IN
THE IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY, IDENTIFIED AS A MR. "JENID
(ALSO "DJAWID") GHORBER OGHLI" (SIC). THE OTHER IRANIAN
VISITOR OF NOTE DURING THE YEAR WAS THE MINISTER OF
FOREIGN AFFAIRS WHO CAME ON JULY 12 AS PART OF A
REGIONAL TRIP SOLICITING SUPPORT FOR THE HOLDING OF THE
OIC SUMMIT CONFERENCE IN TEHRAN IN DECEMBER.


7. (C) IRANIAN ACTIVITY IN NIGER IS REGARDED WITH
SUSPICION BY THE GON. PRESIDENT BARE TOLD THE ALGERIAN.
AMBASSADOR RECENTLY THAT THE GON KNOWS WHAT IS GOING ON
IN THE IRANIAN SCHOOL AND THE CLINIC AND THAT ALL
IRANIAN ACTIVITIES "ARE CLOSELY MONITORED." BARE TOLD
AMBASSADOR CECIL IN SEPTEMBER QUITE EMPHATICALLY THAT
NIGER (HE HAS TO MEAN THE GOVERNMENT) HAS RECEIVED NOT
ONE DOLLAR FROM IRAN. IT IS TRUE THAT SEVENTEEN
NIGERIENS WERE GIVEN UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDY
IN IRAN SOMETIME IN THE LAST YEAR, BUT WHEN ONE RETURNED
TO NIGER TO REPORT THAT ALL HAD BEEN SENT TO QUM WHERE
THEY WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS IN THE USE OF ARMS, THE GON
CALLED THEM ALL BACK AND THERE ARE NOW NONE THERE.


8. (C) THIS DISTRUST OF IRAN MAKES IT HARD TO
UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE BEHIND FOREIGN MINISTER
MAYAKI'S JUNE VISIT TO TEHRAN, AFTER WHICH IT WAS
ANNOUNCED THAT IRAN AND NIGER WOULD RAISE THEIR
RELATIONS TO THE AMBASSADORIAL LEVEL. (IRAN IS
REPRESENTED BY A PERMANENT CHARGE IN NIAMEY; NIGER HAS .
NO REPRESENTATIVE IN TEHRAN.) ACCORDING TO THE FORMER
ALGERIAN AMBASSADOR, IRAN OFFERED TO PAY RENT,
UTILITIES, AND TELEPHONE FOR A NIGERIEN EMBASSY IN
TEHRAN. FORNMIN MAYAKI TOLD THE ALGERIAN THAT HE NEVER
AGREED TO ESTABLISH AN EMBASSY IN TEHRAN--MERELY TO
ELEVATE RELATIONS TO THE AMBASSADORIAL LEVEL. NIGER'S
CLOSEST AMBASSADORS IN THE AREA ARE IN RIYADH, KUWAIT,
AND CAIRO. AMBASSADOR CECIL HAS ASKED NUMEROUS GON
OFFICIALS FOR THEIR VIEWS CONCERNING THE REASONS FOR
ELEVATING NIGERIEN-IRANIAN RELATIONS, BUT NONE HAVE
GIVEN ANY SUBSTANTIVE REPLY. MFA SECGEN SEYDOU IN
OCTOBER TOLD THE AMBASSADOR NOT TO ATTACH TOO MUCH
IMPORTANCE TO THE MATTER. WE NOTE THAT AT THE TIME OF
THE VISIT, TEHRAN SPOKE OF "IRAN'S READINESS FOR
COOPERATION WITH NIGER IN THE FIELDS OF AGRICULTURE,
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY, DAM BUILDING, AND COMMERCE." (FBIS
LONDON 301454Z JUN 97). WHEN SEEKING THE MOTIVATION FOR
NIGER'S POLICIES ONE MUST ALWAYS CONSIDER THE
POSSIBILITY THAT A SEARCH FOR ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE IS THE
PRIMARY FACTOR.

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LONG TERM TRENDS
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9. (C) ALMOST ALL NIGERIENS WILL OPINE THAT
FUNDAMENTALISM IS A LONG-TERM THREAT FOR NIGER.
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT CLOISTERING OF WOMEN IN
THE EASTERN AREAS OF THE COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY THE
ZINDER REGION, MAY BE ON THE INCREASE. AS RECENTLY AS
OCTOBER A GROUP OF EDUCATED, PROFESSIONAL NIGERIEN WOMEN
TOLD THE AMBASSADOR AND THE PAO THAT ATTENDANCE AT
ISLAMIC SCHOOLS WAS ON THE INCREASE BECAUSE MORE AND
MORE PARENTS WANTED THEIR CHILDREN TO RECEIVE THE MORAL
VALUES PRESENTED IN THE ISLAMIC SCHOOLS' CURRICULA.
(GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS ARE ALSO FREQUENTLY INTERRUPTED BY
TEACHERS' STRIKES, SEEKING UNPAID WAGES.) EDUCATED
WOMEN IN PARTICULAR REGRET THE GROWING CONSERVATIVE
RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS BECAUSE EFFORTS TO
LEGISLATE A "FAMILY CODE" HAVE BEEN ON HOLD SINCE 1992
OWING TO THE FIERCE OPPOSITION OF CONSERVATIVE, IF NOT
FUNDAMENTALIST, MUSLIMS, SOME OF WHOM THREATENED
VIOLENCE AGAINST ADVOCATES OF THE CODE. THOUGH NIGER IS
A SECULAR STATE, WOMEN DO NOT HAVE FULL EQUALITY WITH
MEN BEFORE THE LAW IN CERTAIN AREAS, SUCN AS DIVORCE
PROCEEDINGS AND INHERITANCE CASES. THE FAMILY CODE
WOULD HAVE ASSURED THIS EQUALITY.


10. (C) THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR TOLD AMBASSADOR CECIL
THAT HIS FRENCH STAFF IS UNANIMOUS IN BELIEVING THAT
IRAN IS WORKING COVERTLY IN NIGER TO PROMOTE SHI'ISM.
"THEY HAVE MONEY AND ARE NOT IN A HURRY," SAID
AMBASSADOR PAVEC. "IT IS NOT AN IMMINENT THREAT, BUT IN
TEN YEARS, WHO KNOWS?"


11. (C) WE CONCLUDE THAT BOTH IRAN AND RELIGIOUS
LEADERS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA ARE WORKING TO PROMOTE
SHI'ISM IN NIGER. THIS IS LIKELY TO BE A SLOW PROCESS
BECAUSE OF THE ABSENCE, IN GENERAL, OF STRONG RELIGIOUS
BROTHERHOODS ("TURUQ", OR "CONFRERIES") IN NIGER, SUCH
AS THE TIDJANI IN SENEGAL OR THE SANOUSSI IN LIBYA.
THERE IS NO STRUCTURE THROUGH WHICH TO WORK TO INFLUENCE
THOUSANDS OF BELIEVERS AT A TIME; IT'S A TASK WHICH HAS
TO BE ADVANCED MORE ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. ONE NEED
NOT BE A SHIA TO BE A FUNDAMENTALIST, HOWEVER. THE TURN
TOWARD RELIGION TO ASSUAGE FEELINGS OF DESPAIR AND
HOPELESSNESS CAN EASILY BE PROMPTED BY POVERTY. (WE
NOTE THAT BOTH THE WORLD BANK AND THE UNDP HAVE LAUNCHED
PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO COMBAT POVERTY. THEY ARE NOT
MOTIVATED, HOWEVER, BY A DESIRE TO RESIST ISLAMIC
FUNDAMENTALISM.) IT MAY ONLY BE A SMALL STEP FROM SUCH
DESPAIR TO ATTACKING GOVERNMENTS, OR EVEN DONORS, WHICH
HAVE SHOWN THEMSELVES INCAPABLE OF SOLVING THE ECONOMIC
AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS AFFLICTING THE PEOPLE. THE ANALYSIS
OF FORMER PRIME MINISTER AMADOU, IN ITS SIMPLICITY, MAY
WELL BE RIGHT ON TARGET. BUT THE IRANIANS ARE HERE AS
WELL, WORKING TO FORCE THE PACE A BIT.


CECIL