US embassy cable - 03ZAGREB2143

UNCLAS  ZAGREB 002143 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, HR, Minorities 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR CALLS ON THE MUFTI 
 
Summary 
------------ 
 
1. (U) On October 3, the Ambassador paid an initial courtesy 
call on Sevko Omerbasic, Mufti of Zagreb and Croatia. 
Omerbasic, an educator and known moderate, has been quoted in 
the press as being critical of U.S. actions in Iraq.  When 
asked if there had been any efforts to promote extremism in 
Croatia, Omerbasic emphatically said "no," and assured us 
that extremist views are unlikely to be found among the small 
and moderate Muslim population of Croatia.  In a wide-ranging 
meeting, Omerbasic struck a balanced and progressive tone, 
thanked the U.S. Mission for a recent donation to a Muslim 
community, and indicated a desire for further close contact 
with the Embassy.  End Summary. 
 
A Face of Progressive Islam 
------------------------------------ 
 
2. (U) On October 3 the Ambassador paid an introductory call 
on Sevko Omerbasic, Mufti of Zagreb and Croatia.  Ahmed 
Ikanovic, Secretary of the Islamic Community in Croatia, and 
Mirsad Srebrnikovic, President of the Islamic Center, joined 
in what was a productive and informative meeting.  Omerbasic 
estimated the size of the Islamic community of Croatia to be 
well over the official figure of 70,000 and nearly double its 
pre-war size.  He described the Community's successes in 
education, and detailed their plans to develop a university 
and increase social services, such as establishing a 
pre-school and home for retirees. 
 
3. (U) Omerbasic spoke of the September 11 attack on the 
United States and the tremendous damage it caused to the 
reputation of Islam.  He noted that there were "irrational" 
responses to the attack, including some from religious 
leaders in the United States, but assured us that he believed 
religious leaders had a responsibility to promote peace, 
reconciliation, and tolerance. 
 
4. (SBU) Omerbasic said he was energetically against Croatia 
sending troops to Iraq out of fear of a backlash against 
Muslims in Croatia from the majority Roman Catholic 
population should a Croatian soldier be wounded or killed. 
He urged us to seek alliances with Arab nations -- such as 
Egypt -- who could supply Arab troops who would then take the 
lead in rebuilding of Iraq.  He expressed concern that every 
additional U.S. soldier killed in Iraq will serve only to 
worsen American views of Islam and the Arab world.  However, 
he confided to us that on Saddam personally, he would have 
done the same as the U.S. and Great Britain.  He said it was 
not lost on him or others that only after Saddam's fall did 
he proclaim himself a religious person.  The Ambassador noted 
Croatia's desire to enter Euro-Atlantic alliances and the 
European Union, and spoke of the responsibility of all 
democratic nations to play a role in the defense of democracy 
and the fight against terrorism.  The Mufti stated further 
that he supported the Government's decision to send police to 
Afghanistan -- noting that the Taliban had little to do with 
Islam. 
 
5. (U) In September, on one of his first trips outside 
Zagreb, the Ambassador donated $13,000, including books, 
computers, a photocopy machine, and sporting equipment to the 
primary school and Muslim Community Center in the village of 
Maljevac.  South of Zagreb in a hard-hit war-affected area, 
Maljevac is one of a series of small impoverished villages 
with a large Muslim population along the border with 
Bosnia-Herzegovina.  Omerbasic said he visited the village 
just after the Ambassador, and saw for himself the donations 
and the effect they were having on the community.  He praised 
the donation as a symbol of the United States as a nation 
based on justice and the rule of law.  He portrayed Islam as 
a positive and progressive force, and by so doing aligned 
himself as a democrat in support of the same principles as 
the United States. 
 
Comment 
------------- 
 
6. (SBU) While he seemed at times reluctant to venture too 
deeply into domestic politics -- saying the Government did 
not seek his views -- he nonetheless felt comfortable enough 
to discuss a broad range of issues, from the Middle East to 
the upcoming elections.  He was extremely positive about the 
current government, calling its policy toward religious 
minorities "revolutionary" -- and expressed hope that there 
would be "continuity" in the Government beyond elections 
expected this fall.  We found the discussion fruitful, and 
 
will seek additional opportunities for the larger Embassy 
community to engage Omerbasic and his staff on issues of 
mutual concern. 
FRANK 
 
 
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