US embassy cable - 05OTTAWA1488

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 001488 
 
SIPDIS 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 088240 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, KISL, PREL 
SUBJECT: RESPONDING TO ALLEGATIONS OF QURAN DESECRATION AT 
GUANTANAMO 
 
 
STATE 90992; OTTAWA 02731 (04) 
 
1. Canadian media treatment:  National media in Canada 
carried stories beginning May 11 of rioting in Kabul that 
resulted from the Newsweek report.  Canadian media have 
followed the story with scrupulously "straight" reporting, 
primarily from international wire services and U.S. media, 
prominently noting DOD statements and Secretary Rice's on- 
the-record statement of May 13.  All national media in 
Canada prominently report Newsweek's retraction on May 17. 
Indeed, Canadian media reporting as of May 17 is most 
focused on Newsweek's lack of responsibility and the state 
of American journalism, comparing the Newsweek report to CBS 
News reports of last autumn.  Even the free-of-charge 
broadsheets distributed on the streets of Vancouver carry 
stories May 17 about Newsweek's Sunday apology.  In short, 
Canadian media outlets have provided similar wide coverage 
to Newsweek's retraction as was given to the original 
allegations. 
 
2. Reporting on the Sponsorship Scandal and a looming 
confidence vote for the Liberal minority government in 
Canada have pushed all international and bilateral stories 
to the inside pages and to the middle of broadcasts.  That 
perhaps has prevented the Quran desecration allegations from 
becoming an overwhelming public issue in Canada. 
 
 
3. Community Reaction:  Reaction in Canada's large and 
significant Muslim communities also appears to have been 
muted, at least so far.  Nevertheless, the Mission's Public 
Affairs offices have undertaken a number of direct efforts 
to reach out to significant Muslim community leaders and 
community media. 
 
4. PA Ottawa sent the texts of Secretary Rice's statement on 
May 13 to the President of the Progressive Muslims 
Association of Ottawa with a courtesy note, expressing 
regret over violence the story had caused in the Middle East 
and expressing our profound respect for all religions, 
including Islam.  PAO met with him and the Ottawa Imam at a 
previously scheduled social event May 14; both were 
typically courteous and friendly, neither of them raised the 
allegations. 
 
5. PA Montreal sent the text of the Newsweek retraction and 
Editor Mark Whitaker's May 16 "From the Editor's Desk" 
article to 28 contacts in Montreal's Muslim community, 
including media outlets, Radio Middle East, the Maghreb 
Observateur, and Al Ahram Canada, as well as the Muslim 
Council of Montreal, the Algerian Cultural Center and the 
Canadian Council of Muslim Women.  PAO Montreal forwarded 
these under a cover note expressing appreciation for their 
consideration of the retraction, and regretting the violence 
that the initial story had provoked.  Consulate Montreal is 
currently organizing follow-up in its regular outreach 
program to the Muslim community and will have opportunities 
to discuss the situation further over the next several days. 
 
6. PA Vancouver has engaged a contact at Vancouver's leading 
mosque who is working in the community to help create inter- 
religious understanding.  PA Vancouver forwarded Secretary 
Rice's statement to this contact, who also works for the 
Vancouver Imam.  PA Vancouver has also forwarded Secretary 
Rice's statement and the Newsweek retraction to the editor 
of the Vancouver Muslim community newspaper, "The Miracle." 
 
7. Comment.  Allegations of desecration of the Holy Quran 
have not become a major public affairs issue for the U.S. in 
Canada.  Nevertheless, it underlines the importance of 
continuing to reach out to contacts in Canada's Muslim 
communities.  In fact, this has given us an opportunity to 
take the initiative in discussing Americans' sincere respect 
for religion and the seriousness with which the U.S. 
government takes such a