US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT2119

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 002119 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD, NEA/P, PA, INR/R/MR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, OIIP, KMDR, KISL, XF, KU 
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION:  QURAN ALLEGATION FOLLOW- 
UP - THE U.S. RESPECTS ISLAM & HOLY QURAN 
 
REF:  A. KUWAIT 02092 
B. STATE 90992 
C. STATE 88240 
 
 
1.  Summary:  While there has been coverage on the Quran 
allegations from Newsweek, Post has received little 
feedback from local contacts which would indicate 
widespread anger over the story (ref. A).  Criticism from 
the media has generally come from anti-American sources. 
PAS issued a press release from the Ambassador on May 17, 
2005, stressing that the Newsweek allegation is false and 
that the U.S. respects Islam and the Holy Quran.  End 
summary. 
 
"An insult to the Holy Book" 
---------------------------- 
 
2.  Al-Qabas, on May 15, 2005, p. 2, published an article 
le 
under the headline, "Condemnation for the Desecrating of 
Al-Quran:  It is the undermining of one and a half billion 
Muslims."   The paper wrote:  "The International Charitable 
Muslim Society strongly condemns, and expresses its deep 
concern regarding the acts of desecrating the Holy Quran by 
investigators in the Guantanamo detention camp.  This is an 
appalling behavior and represents an insult on the holy 
book that more than one and a half billion Muslims believe 
in."  A group of Shiites clerics and scholars in Kuwait 
also condemned the act and clarified, "We understand that 
this act was committed by an ignorant individual who hates 
Muslims and is full of hate for personal reasons; however, 
his behavior should not go unpunished." 
 
 
"An apology alone is not acceptable" 
------------------------------------ 
 
3.  Al-Rai Al-Aam, on May 15, 2005, p. 20 republished a 
press release by the Islamic Constitutional Movement- 
Kuwait's version of the Muslim Brotherhood-on the alleged 
desecration of the Holy Quran. The headline read, "Al- 
Dustouriya-The Constitutional on the desecration of the 
Holy Quran: An apology and severe punishment are required." 
The press release by the Movement said, "The Islamic 
Constitutional Movement denounces with great anger and 
seriously condemns the desecration acts that have been 
committed by US instruments at the Guantanamo detention 
centre.  An apology alone is not acceptable unless it was 
accompanied by severe punishment for these acts as well as 
for the inhumane treatment of Muslims in Guantanamo and 
other places like Abu Ghraib."  The paper also reported a 
statement by the Shi'a Clerics in Kuwait, which condemned 
the acts of desecrating the holy Quran as described above. 
 
"It reminds us of the crimes of the Crusaders" 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
4.  In the editorial/opinion Section of Al-Watan on May 18, 
2005, conservative columnist Dr. Ajeel Al-Nashmi wrote that 
"desecrating the Quran is nothing new."  "It is not strange 
to learn that they desecrate the Quran and insult one and a 
half billion Muslims around the world.  We recall the 
atrocities against the Quran that were committed in Spain 
when the Spanish entered Qurtoba.  It also reminds us of 
the crimes of the Crusaders in Jerusalem.  In one day they 
killed 70,000 Muslims and desecrated the Holy Book.  The US 
today is a copy of that dark history.  We live in a world 
that is governed by the law of the jungle.  This is not 
strange when we know that Jews run the politics and 
influence the public opinion behind the scenes." 
 
5.  Anti-American Salafi-leaning columnist Muhammed Yusuf 
Al-Mulaifi, who is not considered by PAS nor by our Kuwaiti 
contacts to have a serious influence in Kuwait, in Al- 
Seyassah published an article on May 18, 2005 on page 15 on 
the Quran allegation.  The headline was, "Unquestionable 
Proof that Americans desecrated the Quran."  Mr. Al-Mulaifi 
wrote, "when Newsweek magazine learned that its report on 
desecrating the Quran in Guantanamo caused severe damage to 
the image of the US Administration, it quickly retracted 
the report and had doubts about its authenticity under 
pressure from the Pentagon.  What if the Muslim world did 
not react to this unacceptable insult as it did?  Would the 
magazine have retracted its story and corrected its alleged 
mistake?  And what about the reports from British Muslims 
who were released from Guantanamo?  The first thing they 
said was that US soldiers insulted them and the Holy 
Quran." 
 
6.  Al-Anba on May 18, 2003, on p. 3, quoted the Speaker of 
the National Assembly, Jassem Al-Khorafi as saying, "if the 
magazine retracted its story, we call upon the US 
Administration to investigate this incident, which can be 
regarded as a big crime against more than one billion 
Muslims around the world.  We also urge the US government 
to punish anyone who is found guilty of committing this 
crime."  The same day's Al-Watan, on p. 50, also carried 
the same quote. 
 
Post's press response: U.S. Respects Islam and the Quran 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
7.  Though Post received few comments on the allegation and 
PAS received no press inquiries on the issue, PAS issued 
two general press releases, in Arabic and in English.  The 
first press release on May 14, 2005, featured Secretary 
Rice's statement of May 12, 2005 before the Senate 
Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations 
and Related Programs. 
 
8.  On May 17, 2005, PAS issued a press release from the 
Ambassador.  The text of the statement follows: 
 
Newsweek has retracted its report of May 9 alleging 
disrespect of the Holy Quran at Guantanamo Bay.  This story 
is false.  The Department of Defense has been looking into 
allegations of desecration and has found nothing to 
substantiate them.  The U.S. government will investigate 
all credible allegations of misconduct and will take 
appropriate action should misconduct occur. 
 
Detainees at Guantanamo receive (a) adequate shelter and 
clothing, (b) three culturally-appropriate meals per day, 
(c) an opportunity to worship (including copies of the 
Quran and prayer beads), (d) the means to send and receive 
mail, (e) reading materials, and (f) exceptional medical 
care.  Additionally, the call to prayer is played over camp 
loudspeakers at the appropriate times every day and 
detainee cells have stenciled arrows pointing the direction 
to Mecca. 
 
I would like to reiterate to Muslims in Kuwait and 
throughout the world, disrespect for the Holy Quran is not 
now, nor has it ever been, nor will it ever be, tolerated 
by the United States.  We honor the sacred books of the 
world's great religions.  Disrespect for the Holy Quran is 
abhorrent to us all.  The U.S. deeply respects Islam and 
the Holy Quran. 
 
9.  Most of the daily newspapers published the Ambassador's 
statement in full or in part on May 18, 2005, which 
happened to fall on the same day that the two anti-American 
columnists published their articles (described above). 
Selections from the papers follow: 
 
-Al-Qabas (Arabic, circ. 65,000) published a passage from 
the press release on the front page.  The headline read, 
"US Ambassador: the U.S. has not, and will not tolerate any 
disrespect to the Holy Quran". 
 
-Al-Rai Al-Aam (Arabic, circ. 70,000) printed the press 
release on page 36 as part of their report on the visit of 
Foreign Minister Shaykh Muhammad Al-Sabah to the U.S. 
 
-The Arab Times published the full text of the press 
release on the front page in large red bold font.  The 
headline read, "U.S. Respects Islam". More details on the 
retraction of the Newsweek story, and the Pentagon's 
reaction appeared on p. 8. 
 
-The Kuwait Times (English, circ. 35,000) published the 
full text of the press release on page 2.  The headline 
read, "U.S. Respects Islam, Quran: LeBaron". 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
10.  Although today's columns were quite critical of the 
U.S. regarding the Newsweek report, they were written by 
generally anti-American columnists.  The Quran issue has 
received moderate attention but was overshadowed by the 
National Assembly vote of May 16 which granted full 
political rights to Kuwaiti women.  End comment. 
 
LEBARON