US embassy cable - 05DUBLIN172

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBLIN 000172 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2014 
TAGS: PINR, PTER, SCUL 
SUBJECT: ISLAM IN IRELAND, C-DI4-01219 
 
REF: STATE 268626 
 
Classified By: POL/ECON CHIEF MARY DALY, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B), (D) 
 
1. (C) Summary.  Embassy Dublin salutes the initiative of 
Washington analysts (reftel) to look at the role of Islamic 
thinkers across Europe.  In November, we launched a new 
outreach program to Muslims in Ireland, a group that has 
grown rapidly in recent years.  There are two significant 
mosques in Dublin, the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland 
(ICCI), and South Circular Road Mosque.  Embassy's answers in 
this cable are based mainly on our contacts with the Imam of 
ICCI in Dublin.  This outreach is ongoing; future reports 
will detail progress and developments.  End Summary. 
 
2. (C) Please see below answers to reftel questions: 
 
A.  Influential clerics:  The most prominent Muslim cleric in 
Ireland is Sheikh Hussein Mohammed Halawa of Egypt.  He is 
the Imam at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland 
(ICCI-www.iccislam.org), a Sunni mosque, which is co-located 
with the European Institute for Humanities and the European 
Council for Fatwa and Research.  Another prominent Muslim 
cleric is Sheikh Yahya Hussein (also Sunni) of South Circular 
Road Mosque (known locally as the Old Mosque).  Though there 
are known extremist elements that frequent ICCI, South 
Circular Road Mosque is known as the more radical of the two 
and is home to a majority of the Muslim extremists in 
Ireland. 
 
B.  Key political ideas:  Halawa, in two separate meetings 
with embassy officials stated that dialogue is the key to 
building understanding.  He denounces terrorism and violence 
of all kinds, and ICCI was the first to denounce the 9/11 
attacks in a letter to the Irish president.  Halawa does not 
support the war in Iraq or the US policy in Israel.  As for 
terrorism, he said that Al Qaeda is not Islam and that 
terrorism is a disease that can be cured by solving 
injustice.  He said that he calls for the 30,000 Muslims in 
Ireland to integrate into Irish society and leave negative 
ideology behind. He accuses the US, and governments of the 
world, of having a double-standard on terrorism, caring when 
Westerners or Jews are killed by terrorists, but not when 
Arabs or Muslims are.  He said that Muslims, Christians and 
Jews should all be treated with the same amount of respect. 
He acknowledged that Arabs and Muslims are disenchanted, 
oppressed and angry with their own governments, but have no 
means to protest or even vent.  He could not explain why, but 
said that Arabs tend to take the frustration with their own 
lack of fair self-rule and rail against the freedoms and 
image of the US. 
 
C.  Religious and secular dialogue.  Halawa is a member of 
the Three Faith Forum, a gathering of interfaith community 
leaders, and he was chosen to recite from the Koran at the 
Irish presidential inauguration in November.  In general, he 
represents Islam to the GOI and the Irish public.  Also, 
according to Halawa, Muslims in Ireland enjoy religious 
freedoms and a good relationship with the GOI. 
 
D.  Influence across social, educational, ethnic and 
religious lines.  ICCI provides services, in the form of a 
traditional Mosque, an accredited school, and a restaurant to 
Arabs and Muslims from many countries and socio-economic 
backgrounds.  The services are open and available to all 
Muslims in Ireland and are attended by a broad array of 
Muslims from the Islamic world, to include Irish Muslims and 
residents from as far away as Malaysia and Indonesia.  There 
is a Shi'a Mosque in town, but according to Halawa, Shi'a 
Muslims are welcome at ICCI as well. 
 
E.  Views toward the U.S.  Per reftel, Halawa is critical of 
US policy in Iraq and Israel, but he supports an increase in 
dialogue with post.  In a meeting January 25 meeting with the 
Ambassador, he said that he would be willing to cooperate 
with the embassy on issues of mutual interest.  He 
understands that the U.S. is not anti-Muslim and said that 
the U.S. is a good example of how people of diverse religions 
can live together.  Halawa is not in regular contact with the 
embassy, but visited twice in recent years.  In post's 
estimation, he would be open to further contacts with US 
officials or nonofficial Americans. 
 
F.  Leadership style, professional relationships.  Halawa is 
a gentle, soft-spoken man.  In meetings with emboffs, he 
appeared slightly apprehensive and nervous.  In both 
meetings, he was very cordial and non-confrontational.  He 
speaks in soft rhetoric, condemning all violence and 
oppression, and supporting vague goals such as justice and 
freedom.  He is concerned, but not overtly passionate about 
any particular issue.  He is an important contact in Ireland 
and holds a position of high influence.  In his initial 
contacts with the embassy, his remarks have tended to be 
guarded.  With more intensified embassy contact, we hope to 
get a clearer grasp of his political views and the direction 
in which he is leading the Mosque.  To date, post knows 
little about his professional contacts.  Two of the senior 
leaders at ICCI are tenuously linked to Islamic extremists in 
Ireland.  Halawa's main professional contact is the Sheikh 
Hamdan family of Dubai, who financed the building of ICCI ten 
years ago and hired Halawa, according to him, because he had 
visited Ireland from Egypt often as a lecturer. 
KENNY