US embassy cable - 04MADRID3887

UNCLAS MADRID 003887 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SOCI, KPAO, KISL, SP 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY MADRID STRENGTHENS MUSLIM OUTREACH 
 
 
 1.  (U)  SUMMARY.  Embassy Madrid began its efforts for 
Muslim outreach in Spain by hosting the visit of Abdulwahab 
Alkebsi, Program Officer for the Middle East at the National 
Endowment for Democracy and the Department's first 
participant in the "Citizen Diplomat" program, September 29 - 
October 2.  Alkebsi met with Muslim associations, Spanish 
think tanks, members of the press, and government officials 
during his visit.  Embassy officials accompanied Alkebsi to 
an introductory meeting with Mercedes Rico Carabias, the 
Director General for Religious Affairs at the Ministry of 
Justice.  END SUMMARY 
 
2.  (U)  Alkebsi met with several prominent members of the 
Madrid Muslim community during his visit.  Poloff and members 
of the Public Affairs section accompanied Alkebsi to his 
meeting with Ebrahem Alzaid, the Director of the Islamic 
Cultural Center, on September 30.  Alzaid appreciated the 
contact with the Embassy and promised to keep the Embassy 
apprised of future Islamic cultural events in Madrid.  The 
Islamic Cultural Center also houses a mosque, informally 
dubbed the "M30 Mosque" due to its location along the M30 
highway.  The mosque is the largest mosque in Spain and its 
leaders play a strong role in influencing public attitudes 
towards Islam in Spain.  Alkebsi also met prominent members 
of Spanish Muslim associations; members of the Spanish press, 
including a sit-down interviews with El Mundo and TVE; a 
senior analyst on Arab issues at the Elcano Royal Institute, 
a Spanish think tank; and the president of Carta 
Mediterranea, an organization dedicated to reaching out and 
working with civil society in the Arab and Mediterranean 
Europe regions. 
 
3.  (U)  Embassy officials, including Charge, accompanied 
Alkebsi,to his meeting with Mercedes Rico Carabias, Director 
General for Religious Affairs at the Ministry of Justice. 
The introductory meeting was meant to inform the GOS that the 
USG would be creating a Muslim outreach program in Spain and 
that the visit of "Citizen Diplomat" Alkebsi was an example 
of the type of programs to expect.  Rico Carabias explained 
that a large part of her job is opening bridges to the Muslim 
community, particularly after the March 11 massacre in 
Madrid.  She stated that, although the Catholic church has 
traditionally received special considerations from the state, 
the government has tried to be more inclusive of other 
religions.  The GOS is trying to implement expanded public 
funding and tax benefits comparable to the advantages the 
Catholic church receives to members of the Protestant, 
Muslim, and Jewish communities.  She hopes that in the future 
Muslim communities in Spain will not have to rely entirely on 
foreign financing and that the GOS can make Muslims realize 
that they care what happens to their communities.  Rico 
Carabias also talked of the GOS extending suffrage in local 
elections to Spanish residents or EU residents; this would 
give many Muslim communities a larger voice in local politics 
as many Spanish Muslims are new arrivals who have not 
obtained Spanish nationality. 
 
4.  (U)  COMMENT.  Alkebsi's visit allowed the Embassy to 
have its first contact with several members of the local 
Muslim community, including the leaders of the "M30 Mosque". 
His status as a "Citizen Diplomat" not affiliated with the 
USG and his previous experience with political leaders and 
the press greatly assisted Embassy efforts to strengthen 
Muslim outreach efforts in Spain. 
ARGYROS