US embassy cable - 05JEDDAH1903

C O N F I D E N T I A L JEDDAH 001903 
 
SIPDIS 
 
RIYADH PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN, PARIS FOR ZEYA, LONDON FOR 
GOLDRICH, INR/NESA FOR KIRSCH 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2015 
TAGS: KISL, SOCI, PINR, Mosque Sermons 
SUBJECT: MOSQUE SERMONS FROM SAUDI ARABIA: YOUTH, BLACK 
MAGIC, AND VIOLENCE IN IRAQ 
 
 
Classified By: CONSUL GENERAL GINA ABERCROMBIE-WINSTANLEY 
FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) AND (d). 
 
WESTERN REGION SERMONS:  FROM THE GRAND MOSQUE IN MECCA 
 
1.  (SBU)  From the Grand Mosque in Mecca on June 10, Sheikh 
Salah bin Mohammed al-Budayr delivered a sermon focusing on 
summer activities for youth.  The imam stated that leisure 
activities should be used to strengthen the well-being of 
one's society and nation.  He underscored the importance of 
cultural and recreational activities for youth during the 
summer holidays.  Sheikh Budayr also stressed the 
responsibility of parents to make sure children engage in 
proper and productive activities, such as sports. 
 
WESTERN REGION SERMONS:  FROM THE PROPHET'S MOSQUE IN MEDINA 
 
2.  (SBU)  From the Prophet's Mosque in Medina on June 10, 
Sheikh Usama Abdallah al-Khayyat called on worshippers to 
fear God and follow Shari'a (Islamic law).  "A legal act that 
leads to illegal results is forbidden under Shari'a," he 
emphasized.  If in doubt of what is legal and illegal, a 
Muslim should consult an Islamic scholar.  "What is right is 
clear and what is wrong is clear and what is between is 
doubtful," he added.  Concluding the sermon, Sheikh Khayyat 
said, "O God, support our oppressed brothers in Palestine 
against usurper Jews.  The Jews have tyrannized, oppressed, 
corrupted, and attacked.  O God, shake the land under their 
feet, instill fear in their hearts, and make them a lesson 
for others." 
 
WESTERN REGION SERMONS:  FROM THE ABDUL MALIK MOSQUE IN JEDDAH 
 
3.  (C)  The imam at the Abdul Malik Mosque in Jeddah 
delivered a Friday sermon highlighting the negative effects 
of black magic.  Calling black magic "haram" (forbidden), he 
discouraged worshippers from seeking out practitioners of 
magic.  The imam said that God will not listen to the prayers 
of those who practice magic for 40 days.  He provided 
worshippers with passages from the Qur'an to counter spells. 
 
4.  (C)  The imam also addressed end-of-the-year exams for 
students in Jeddah.  He instructed fathers to encourage their 
children to study and advised teachers to do their best in 
their jobs because "children represent the future of the 
Kingdom." 
 
EASTERN REGION SERMONS:  FROM THE HANBAL MOSQUE IN AL-KHOBAR 
 
5.  (C)  On June 10, the imam at the Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal 
Mosque in al-Khobar warned Muslims of the dangers of discord 
and internal strife among Muslims.  The imam called on all 
Muslims, both Sunni and Shi'a, to stand together as one unit. 
 Referring to Iraq, he said, "Islam's enemies, led by 
America, stand to gain from the present situation and that is 
why they will do anything to keep the status quo.  America 
has taken the side of the Shi'a in Iraq."  The imam said that 
America claims that the Sunni Triangle, which is a creation 
of the American imagination, is behind the violence. 
According to the imam, the true reason for violence in Iraq 
is the strong desire by the Iraqi people to rid their country 
of "a foreign Christian army that has invaded and occupied 
Iraq." 
 
6.  (C)  Along similar lines, the imam said that America, 
like Israel, is leading the world away from the truth. 
Americans, he maintained, insist that their main concerns are 
peace, democracy, justice, and stability in the region.  The 
imam warned the congregation not to believe such American 
propaganda.  America, he said, is concerned only with its 
interests and its hidden agenda in the region: the protection 
of Israel. 
 
Visit Consulate General Jeddah's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/jeddah 
ABERCROMBIE-WINSTANLEY