US embassy cable - 04MADRID2916

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 002916 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/PPD MICHELLE LOGSDON AND MICHAEL HURLEY, 
EUR/PBI FOR IVAN WEINSTEIN 
R FOR ACTING UNDER SECRETARY HARRISON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, KDEM, OIIP, PREL, EAID, PHUM, PGOV, EUN, OEXC SP, Spain's Muslim Population 
SUBJECT: MUSLIM OUTREACH WORLDWIDE 
 
REF: STATE 155954 (C) 
 
1. Embassy Madrid welcomes this Muslim Outreach initiative 
and provides the following information about our outreach 
efforts: 
 
2.  Brief Context for Muslim Outreach efforts in Spain:  An 
estimated 500,000 to one million Muslims live in Spain. 
Almost all are of foreign origin, with only about 3,000 
being Spaniards who have converted to Islam.  Approximately 
60 percent of them are of Moroccan origin, with the next 
largest population from Algeria.  In Catalunya, there is an 
important Pakistani community.  In the Community of Madrid, 
there are 55 mosques.  The Muslim community assumed 
tremendous importance following the terrorist attacks of 
March 11, 2004 on a Spanish commuter train which killed 191 
people.  50 people have been arrested in connection with the 
attacks, the majority of them Muslims of Moroccan origin. 
The Spanish Government has realized that they must reach out 
to their Muslim population, and have proposed a series of 
initiatives including subsidizing mosques, to wean them from 
foreign financing; registering Imams, and requiring them to 
preach their sermons in Spanish; and teaching Islam (under 
the rubric of comparative religion) in the public schools. 
 
3.  Embassy Madrid Programs:  In addition to the programs 
listed below, the Embassy recently created a Muslim Outreach 
Working Group, chaired by the DCM.  At its first meeting, 
the Group commissioned a study by PA's Information Resource 
Center on the Islamic Community in Spain.  This 103 page 
report is now completed and has been distributed to the 
Working Group members.  It provides background on the 
Islamic Community in Spain, and lists influential 
institutions and individuals with whom the Embassy should 
initiate or maintain contact.  The following is a status 
report on outreach programs to the Muslim Community: 
 
Description/Name of Activity: Meetings with Spanish Muslim 
Federation 
Audience: Spokesman for large Spanish Islamic organization 
Category: Image of the US 
Responsible Section: POL 
Timeframe: Ongoing 
Budget and Account: Meal per diem for lunches 
Results: Obtained information on Islamic community issues 
for use in annual Religious Freedom Report.  Exchanged ideas 
regarding US foreign policy, specifically towards Israel. 
Was able to explain USG objectives in the Middle East and 
discuss how Spanish Muslims may play a role in sharing their 
belief in democracy with other Islamic governments or 
organizations.  As a result, spokesman has expressed an 
interest in attending the January, 2004 "Networking the 
Western Democracies with the Arab World" conference in 
Berlin 
 
Description/Name of Activity: Meetings with Muslim community 
and political leaders in Ceuta 
Audience: Calls on Muslim political and community leaders 
Category: Image of the US 
Responsible Section: POL 
Timeframe: Completed November 2002. 
Budget and Account: $1000 for travel and per diem 
Results: Exchange of views with Muslim community and 
political leaders.   Anti-US feeling had been evident in 
Ceuta.   About a third of the est 70,000 population of 
Ceuta, adjacent to Morocco, is Muslim. 
 
Description/Name of Activity:  U.S. Speaker Arab-American 
writer Elmaz Abinader 
Audience:  academics, community activists, journalists 
Category:  Image of the U.S. 
Responsible Section:  PA 
Time Frame:  completed; April 2003 
Budget and Account:  speaker travel, per diem, and honoraria 
($6,000) 
Results:  Abinader participated in the national bi-annual 
gathering of the Spanish Association of American Studies. 
She also spoke to a group of Islamic studies scholars and 
community activists about tolerance and diversity. 
 
Description/Name of Activity: U.S. Speaker Felicity Galerday 
on Islamic Community in the U.S. 
Audience:  Spanish-speaking Muslims 
Category:  Image of the U.S. 
Responsible Section:  PA 
Time Frame:  completed;  April 2003 
Budget and Account:  partial per diem and honorarium $1500 
Results:  The speaker participated in an international 
conference of Spanish-speaking Muslims (Islam on the Two 
Banks) in Sevilla 
 
Description/Name of Activity:  Distribution of Pamphlet 
"Muslim Life in America" 
Audience:  Academics and Journalists 
Category:  Image of the U.S. 
Responsible Section:  PA 
Time Frame:  completed spring 2003 
Budget and Account:  0 
Results: 
 
Description/Name of Activity: Visa briefing on new 
regulations and procedures 
Audience:  academic exchange groups, government officials 
Category:  Image of the U.S., security 
Responsible Section:  CONS/PA 
Time Frame:  completed; May 2003 
Budget and Account:  0 
Results: 
 
Description/Name of Activity:  Ambassador's Iftaar Letter to 
Muslim Ambassadors in Spain 
Audience:  Islamic diplomatic community 
Category:  Image of the U.S., security 
Responsible Section:  EXEC/PA 
Time Frame:  completed fall 2002 
Budget and Account:  0 
Results: 
 
Description/Name of Activity:  Voluntary Visitor Program 
with Islamic Members of "No a Racismo" anti-racism coalition 
Audience:  Spanish Muslims 
Category:  Image of the U.S. 
Responsible Section:  PA 
Time Frame:  pending 
Budget and Account: n/a 
Results: 
 
Description/Name of Activity:  Assistance in establishing 
multi-lingual radio for Madrid's immigrant community 
Audience:  Spanish Muslims 
Category:  Image of the U.S. 
Responsible Section:  PA 
Time Frame:  pending 
Budget and Account:  0 
Results: 
 
MANZANARES