US embassy cable - 04KUWAIT3032

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 003032 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, PA, INR/NESA 
STATE FOR IIP/G/NEA-SA, INR/B 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
USDOC FOR 4520/ANESA/ONE/FITZGERALD-WILKS 
USDOC FOR ITA AND PTO/OLIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KU, KDMR 
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION KUWAIT: YOUSEF QARADAWI'S 
REMARKS ADVOCATING KILLING AMERICANS, AND THE KUWAITI 
REACTION 
 
1. SUMMARY: Friday's (9/3) edition of leading Arabic daily 
al-Rai al-A'am contained a transcription of an interview 
given in Cairo by Islamist Dr. Yousef Qaradawi. In answer to 
a question about the religious propriety of kidnapping 
Americans in Iraq and mutilating their corpses, Qaradawi 
reportedly replied that it is a religious "duty" to kill any 
Americans in Iraq, and that there is no distinction between 
soldiers and civilians. Kuwaiti editorialists responded 
strongly to Qaradawi's rhetoric in the days following 
publication of his reported remarks, decrying even 
"moderate" Islamism if in fact Qaradawi represents that 
stream, calling attention to the damage such statements 
could do to Islam, and raising the specter of Qaradawi's 
adherents following his advice not only in Iraq but across 
the Gulf. 
 
2. According to Arabic daily al-Rai al-A'am, in answer to a 
question on the religious propriety of kidnapping Americans 
in Iraq, Qaradawi responded: "Americans in Iraq are all 
fighters, and fighting them is a religious `must,' and they 
must leave Iraq. But to mutilate their bodies is a practice 
that Islam rejects. Americans are all invaders, and there is 
no difference between `civilian' and `military.' Although it 
is allowed, and it is a `must,' that they be killed, their 
bodies must not be mutilated." 
3.  "Upside-Down: Qaradawi the Moderate" 
Dr. Ahmed al-Rubei, former MP and minister of education and 
higher education, wrote in Arabic daily al-Qabas (9/4): 
"Because Shaykh Qaradawi is just like the other extremist 
shaykhs who will not face death or martyrdom in battle, and 
because their children are studying in western universities, 
Qaradawi's fatwa in question will find its way only to some 
enthusiastic Muslim youngsters who are ready to go to Iraq 
to carry out the religious duty which Qaradawi has been 
calling upon them to perform.and because some of these 
youngsters may not find it easy to enter Iraq, they will not 
hesitate to direct their weapons towards the American 
soldiers currently deployed in Gulf Cooperation Council 
(GCC) countries in general and Kuwait and Qatar in 
particular, given the fact that most of these soldiers work 
in Iraq. Not just that, but one can expect these youngsters 
to hasten to kill the American civilians in these countries 
as long as these civilians serve the U.S. Army in the 
region.I think the difference between madness and 
rationality and between extremism and moderation is obvious. 
In spite of that, we find that Qaradawi, who is currently 
basking in a luxurious life in Qatar, has issued a new fatwa 
calling for murdering American civilians in Iraq. 
 
4.  "Excuse Me, Shaykh Qaradawi" 
Dr. Wael Hassawi, wrote in independent al-Rai al-A'am (9/5): 
"with regard to Qaradawi's fatwa calling for the murder of 
American civilians in Iraq, provided the remains are not 
mutilated, we would like to point out that the brutality 
which we are currently witnessing in Iraq is not represented 
only by the mutilation of victims' bodies, but that 
abduction itself is brutal, as are torture and 
beheadings.There is a thin line between real jihad in the 
name of God and the spreading of ruthlessness, and it is the 
duty of Muslim clerics to show this distinction to people, 
and to prevent them from brutally harming others in what 
they believe is an act of following God, as He has not 
called for this." 
 
 
5.  "Kuwaiti Excerpts" 
Sami Abdullatif al-Nisif wrote in independent al-Anba 
(09/06): "If Dr. Yousef Qaradawi truly believed in the 
legitimacy of murder and war and the cutting of civilians' 
heads in Iraq, then why doesn't he send his sons and 
apprentices to do so, or does it only fall on the hands of 
others? Just for your information, Qaradawi is in excellent 
health that allows him to go to war and carry arms, and the 
best proof of this is what [an Arabic] newspaper reported 
about him marrying an underage girl (17 years old). meaning 
that he enjoys the pleasures of the bedroom, while others 
are sent to the grave! May God help us." 
 
6.  "What Comes After Atonement" 
Sawsan al-Shaer wrote in independent al-Watan (09/06): "We 
are currently faced with a big misconception regarding Jihad 
and Murder. This is why there exists among us now time 
bombs, especially Arab Sunnis, all around the world, waiting 
for the signal to tick off and cause destruction and death. 
Muslims are currently in awe of their leading clerics, as 
they delude their followers with their words. No greater an 
example on this is Dr. Qaradawi when he called for the 
slaughter of American civilians in Iraq, since they aid the 
occupying army. We wonder why he didn't call on the same 
against British civilians? Is it because both of Qaradawi's 
daughters study in the U.K.? So what's the difference 
between the Nepalese and the American civilians currently in 
Iraq? The problem is that these clerics say that Islam is 
moderate, yet they call for such extremist thought. One must 
keep in mind that once he agrees to the principle of 
killing, his turn to die will be soon as well." 
 
7.  "A Bunch of Remarks" 
Nabeel al-Fadel wrote in independent al-Rai al-A'am (09/06): 
"If Yousef al-Qaradawi, the experienced member of the 
Islamic Brotherhood, is an example of moderation as far as 
the Brotherhood members are concerned, then to hell with 
them, and with their moderation and middle stream. For God's 
sake, the man is legitimizing the murder of American 
soldiers in Iraq, as well as that of the civilians in the 
excuse that all Americans are soldiers who serve the 
invasion of Iraq. We believe that our colleague Ahmed al- 
Rubei's response to Qaradawi's stupidity and rambling, which 
was published in an article Saturday, has said enough to 
silence Qaradawi and the logic of his supporters. Shaykh 
Qaradawi has come, in a lot of hype and with a huge and loud 
bang, to prove us right when we said that those who claim to 
be moderate are actually the ones who harbor terrorism." 
 
8.  "This is Not a Fatwa, But Rather an Incitement to Kill" 
Hasan Issa wrote in independent al-Qabas (09/06): "The only 
thing worse than the killing of the children in Ossetia has 
been the fatwa of the "Meat and Rice" Shaykh - Yousef 
Qaradawi - when he gave his fatwa, may God not bless it, 
allowing the killing of all Americans in Iraq. He might have 
even meant all non-Muslim foreigners, whether they be 
civilian or military. This comes from a Shaykh who lives in 
Qatar from which American planes took off and flew to 
liberate Iraq. We in Kuwait are closer in proximity than any 
other country to the effects of the terror in Iraq. It will 
affect us the most. Why does our government try to convince 
us that the youth in Iraq who were caught here are 
moderates? Qaradawi was considered moderate too, and look 
what he has said. We are now ashamed to say that we are 
Arabs and Muslims. We are also ashamed that the clerics of 
moderation come up with such stupid and irresponsible 
fatwas." 
 
Tueller