US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI3252

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003252 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; 
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA 
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH; PARIS FOR ZEYA 
LONDON ALSO PASS TO MOC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION:  EXCLUSIVE WITH UAE MINISTER OF 
JUSTICE AND ISLAMIC AFFAIRS 
 
 
  1.   SUMMARY:  ARABIC DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD" CARRIED A TWO-PAGE 
     EXCLUSIVE WITH THE UAE MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND ISLAMIC AFFAIRS I 
     WHICH HE COVERS A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES INCLUDING FRIDAY SERMONS 
     AND ERRONEOUS UNDERSTANDINGS BY MUSLIMS.  HE ASSERTED THAT THE 
     MINISTRY IS CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED TO PROMOTE THE REAL MEANING OF 
     MODERATE ISLAM.  THE MINISTER ALSO DENIED THAT FRIDAY SERMONS 
     ONLY ADDRESS BLAND SUBJECTS, NOTING THAT THE SERMONS DISCUSS ALL 
     ISSUES OF INTEREST TO THE COMMUNITY.   END SUMMARY 
 
  2.   ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-OFFICIAL ARABIC DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD" 9/18 
     CARRIED A TWO-PAGE EXCLUSIVE WITH THE UAE MINISTER OF JUSTICE AN 
     ISLAMIC AFFAIRS, MUHAMMAD BIN NAKHIRA AL-DHAHERI.  DURING THE 
     INTERVIEW, THE MINISTER TACKLED ISSUES SUCH AS FRIDAY SERMONS, 
     SCHOOL CURRICULA AND RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS' TEXT BOOKS AND THE MANY 
     MISINTERPRETATIONS OF KORANIC VERSES AND HADITH (PROPHET 
     MOHAMMED'S SPEECHES).  OTHER ISSUES REVIEWED IN THE INTERVIEW 
     DEALT WITH THE FNC (FEDERAL NATIONAL COUNCIL) DELIBERATIONS ON 
     THE ROLE OF VARIOUS MINISTRIES, THE TIGHT BUDGET OF THE MINISTRY 
     OF JUSTICE AND ISLAMIC AFFAIRS, AND THE CURRENT LOW CRIME RATE I 
     THE UAE. 
 
  3.   IN HIS RESPONSE TO THE FIRST QUESTION REGARDING FRIDAY 
     SERMONS THAT ONLY DEAL WITH ROUTINE MATTERS AND DO NOT SERVE ANY 
     MORAL PURPOSE, MINISTER AL-DHAHERI SAID:  "WE'RE AWARE OF THIS. 
     ALTHOUGH THE UAE IS AN OASIS OF STABILITY AND SECURITY, 
     OVERSTEPPING AND ENCROACHMENTS OCCUR BY IMAMS AND PREACHERS.  WE 
     HAVE MANY NATIONALITIES THAT LIVE HERE, BUT WE AT THE MINISTRY 
     KNOW EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON AROUND US.  OUR MAIN MISSION IS TO 
     EDUCATE EVERYONE, UAE NATIONALS AND OTHERS WHO LIVE HERE, IN A 
     MODERATE RELIGIOUS INTERPRETATION. IF WE GO THROUGH THE TOPICS O 
     LAST YEARS SERMONS YOU FIND THAT WE DISCUSSED ISSUES SUCH AS 
     TERRORISM AND THE STANCE OF ISLAM.  HOWEVER, WE CANNOT DISCUSS 
     TERRORISM EVERY WEEK, WE HAVE OTHER ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO TACKL 
     SUCH AS DRUGS, RELIGIOUS CELEBRATIONS, RAMADAN, ETC.  AS FOR 
     ENLIGHTENING THE PEOPLE, WE HAVE A PLAN WHERE WE BRING WELL-KNOW 
     MUSLIM FIGURES FROM ALL THE ISLAMIC NATIONS TO CONDUCT WORKSHOPS 
     AND LECTURES WHERE THEY DISCUSS CERTAIN ISSUES.  THIS YEAR WE 
     HAVE PLANNED A HIGH-LEVEL ISLAMIC CONFERENCE WHERE LECTURERS 
     WOULD BE INVITED TO SHED LIGHT ON MANY TOPICS OF INTEREST TO OUR 
     MINISTRY.. WE COVER ALL ISSUES INCLUDING THE GENERAL ONES SUCH A 
     TERRORISM, VIOLENCE, MISINTERPRETATION OF ISLAM AND THE ISSUANCE 
     OF (BASELESS) FATWAS (ISLAMIC RULES) AND A DENIAL OF THOSE FATWA 
     (ISLAMIC RULES)." 
 
  4.   IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ON WHETHER HE IS SATISFIED WITH 
     THE EXISTING RELIGIOUS CURRICULUM AND WHETHER THE UAEG NEEDS TO 
     REVIEW THEM, HE SAID: "WE HAVE TO BE FRANK HERE AND SAY THAT OUR 
     SCHOOL CURRICULUM HAS BEEN STUDIED BY RELIGIOUS FIGURES AT THE 
     MINISTRY IN COOPERATION WITH THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND WE 
     HAVE MADE NUMEROUS OBSERVATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN FORWARDED TO THE 
     MINISTRY OF EDUCATION.  WE HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THE CURRICULUMS 
     HAVE MANY ERRONEOUS UNDERSTANDINGS AND UNCLEAR INTERPRETATIONS 
     THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED, AND THE MINISTRY WAS VERY 
     CONSIDERATE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THESE FACTS AND WE BOTH AGREED 
     TO REVIEW AND MODIFY THE CURRICULUMS.  WE FOUND CLEAR ERRONEOUS 
     CONCEPTIONS OF RELIGIOUS MATTERS IN THOSE BOOKS.THERE WERE ALSO 
     CLEAR MISINTERPRETATIONS OF KORANIC VERSES AND HADITHES AND 
     THEREFORE, THESE WERE MODIFIED TO COMPLY WITH THE ISLAMIC FAITH. 
     THE COMMITTEE THAT WAS ESTABLISHED TO LOOK INTO THIS ALSO FOUND 
     NEED TO TEACH THESE CONCEPTS ACCORDING TO THE AGE OF THE PUPILS. 
     THERE IS CONSIDERABLE INTEREST AT THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION IN 
     THE PROPOSED MODIFICATION, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR FIRST AT 
     THE ELEMENTARY STAGE TO BE FOLLOWED BY OTHER STAGES, AND THE 
     PRINTING OF THOSE BOOKS WILL TAKE PLACE AFTER THE PROPOSED 
     MODIFICATION.  THE MINISTER REVEALED THAT AN INSTITUTE FOR 
     ISLAMIC AFFAIRS WOULD BE ESTABLISHED IN ABU DHABI TO TRAIN 
     PREACHERS AND ISLAMIC AFFAIRS STUDENTS ON RELIGIOUS PROGRAMS." 
 
SISON