US embassy cable - 04ACCRA2378

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 002378 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR AF/W DESK OFFICER 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, PREL, GH 
SUBJECT:  MUSLIM OUTREACH - WRAP UP OF RAMADAN EVENTS 
 
1.  (U) Summary.  U.S. Mission Accra sponsored a series of 
events during the recent Islamic holy month of Ramadan.  The 
Ramadan program began with an Iftaar dinner hosted by 
Ambassador Mary Carlin Yates, attended by the Vice President 
of Ghana and all of the major Muslim leadership figures in 
Accra.  Emboffs hosted separate Iftaars in Accra for the 
leadership of the various sects.  The Embassy organized a 
number of food donations in underprivileged majority Muslim 
neighborhoods in Accra, nearby Tema and in Kumasi.  Soccer 
tournaments for Muslim youth were held in Accra and Kumasi, 
as well as an Iftaar for Muslim religious leaders and chiefs 
of the Ashanti region, attended by the Regional Minister. 
The Deputy Chief of Mission and other embassy officers made 
courtesy calls on senior Muslim leaders during the course of 
the month, and presented book donations to Muslim-run 
schools in poor neighborhoods.  The Muslim community greeted 
these events enthusiastically and saw to it that they 
received wide media coverage.  End summary. 
 
2.  (U) Ambassador Yates's Iftaar dinner on October 25 
brought together the heads of each of the major Islamic 
sects in Ghana, itself an uncommon occurrence, along with 
the Mission's Muslim contacts in government and academia. 
Ghana Vice President Aliu Mahama, joined the Imams at the 
Ambassador's head table and gave an impromptu speech to the 
guests, stressing the importance of America's friendship 
with Ghanaian Muslims.  The Ambassador used the event to 
announce the awarding of a Department of Defense grant to 
fund an office building for Accra's Islamic Education Unit, 
an agency responsible for integrating traditional religious 
schools into Ghana's secular system.  Ambassador Yates, in 
welcoming remarks, also reviewed the Mission's Muslim 
outreach activities over the past year and outlined plans 
for the coming year.  The Public Affairs Officer traveled to 
Kumasi, Ghana's second city, with a large Muslim population, 
to represent the embassy at another Iftaar celebration, 
attended by the Ashanti region Islamic leaders, Muslim 
chiefs and the top government official, the Regional 
Minister. 
 
3.  (U) The embassy sponsored major food donations to poor 
communities in Accra and Kumasi that were organized with 
religious leaders and Muslim chiefs at ceremonies attended 
by the DCM and other mission officers.  Another donation was 
co-sponsored with the students association at the Islamic 
University, near Accra.  The food was distributed through 
mosques in neighborhoods of Accra, Tema and Kumasi.  The DCM 
used the Accra event to let the audiences know that 
Americans were aware of the importance of Ramadan, with 
particular emphasis being put on care for the less fortunate 
members of society during the holy month.  Post hopes to 
follow up with a food donation to Muslims in Tamale. 
 
4.  (U)  With Eid el Fitr marking the end of Ramadan, the 
embassy, working with Muslim NGOs, sponsored a soccer 
tournament for Muslim youth from the greater Accra municipal 
area.  Sixteen teams participated to play for a trophy and 
prizes.  A similar soccer tournament was held for teams in 
Kumasi.  The DCM kicked off the ball for the final match and 
awarded the prizes.  Parliamentarians, local government 
officials and Ministry of Sports officials attended the 
games.  These leaders expressed their appreciation for the 
embassy's contribution to positive activities for young 
people, many of whom are from the poorest and least 
developed urban areas in and around Ghana's capital city. 
 
5.  (U)  On a less public scale, embassy officers reinforced 
their contacts with Muslim leaders through a series of 
courtesy calls during the course of the month of Ramadan. 
These informal get-togethers permit post officers to learn 
about the concerns of the Muslim community and to express to 
the leadership American attitudes of religious tolerance and 
interest in seeing Muslims participate in the development of 
their country.  These included calls on the National Chief 
Imam and the Chief of the Zongo community in Kumasi.  In 
some instances, the Public Affairs Section accompanied the 
visits with book donations to schools affiliated with the 
various Muslim sects. 
 
6.  (U)  Ramadan is the logical time to intensify Mission 
cooperation with the Muslim community of Ghana, but post 
hopes to organize other activities throughout the year.  For 
example, as occurred last year, the embassy will sponsor a 
radio and TV quiz program for Muslim tertiary students, with 
prizes to the school of the winning team.  At the next major 
Muslim holiday, Eid el Adha, in January, the Mission will 
make the traditional presentation of a ram to the National 
Chief Imam.  At this time, post also expects to organize 
similar events in Tamale, the main city in Ghana's Northern 
Region, which has a large Muslim population.  PolChief was 
one of only three diplomats attending the national 
conference to launch Ramadan, which was positively received 
by the Muslim community.  Media coverage of these events has 
been quite good and public awareness of post's efforts at 
outreach to Ghana's Muslims is at a high level.  The embassy 
is regularly being contacted by Muslim organizations, 
including some of the most conservative, to learn more about 
how they can participate in these programs. 
 
7.  (SBU) Comment:  While it is difficult to quantify the 
impact of these programs, anecdotally post has had responses 
from Muslim leaders indicating that they much appreciate the 
Mission's outreach, which they view as exhibiting our 
country's respect for their religion and their local 
institutions.  In some instances, fundamentalist Imams with 
negative and suspicious attitudes toward the United States 
have softened their language and sought to learn more about 
American policies and values.  This has been evidenced by 
reports of "before and after" preaching before congregations 
and by invitations to visit mosques extended to Emboffs. 
Recently, the bimonthly magazine published by the largest 
conservative sect included an article on the role of 
religion in the U.S. elections and a feature article with a 
photo of post PAO speaking to the group's leadership on the 
importance of education for Muslim youth.  These 
interactions, and there are numerous similar examples of 
effectiveness, often reflect the personal relationships that 
a number of post officers have developed with Ghana's Muslim 
leaders.  They also reinforce the notion that in a 
traditional culture there typically is no better way to 
cement bonds than by dedicating many hours to face-to-face 
discussions, on a small and personal scale.  End comment. 
 
YATES