US embassy cable - 05CAIRO4877

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 004877 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2015 
TAGS: KISL, PTER, PGOV, EG, IZ 
SUBJECT: SENIOR EGYPTIAN CLERICS' REPORTED UNHELPFUL 
STATEMENTS ON IRAQ 
 
 
Classified by ECPO Counselor John Desrocher for reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary:  Egyptian media reports this week quote 
Egypt's two most prominent Islamic figures, the Mufti and the 
Sheikh of Al-Azhar, each appointed by the GOE, as making 
unhelpful public remarks that imply religious justification 
for the terrorist insurgency in Iraq.  Embassy requests for 
clarification were met by equivocation from Mufti Ali Gom'a's 
office, while an aide to Sheikh Tantawi flatly denied the 
report and (informally) accused the reporter who quoted him 
of fabrication.  We cannot be certain as to what either 
figure exactly said - no official transcript exists - though 
we are inclined to doubt the veracity of reports that Tantawi 
condoned attacks on coalition forces.  Indeed, there are 
other reports that Al-Azhar's Islamic Research Center, which 
issues fatwas (legal interpretations of Islamic law), may 
soon issue a fatwa calling on Iraqi Muslims to support their 
government.  Moreover, Tantawi has, in past public remarks, 
been supportive of normalization and pacification in Iraq and 
(privately) welcomed the removal of Saddam Hussein.  Both 
Tantawi and Gom'a are usually circumspect when making 
statements that have international political implications and 
tend to use language vague and general enough to please more 
than one audience.   End summary. 
 
2. (C) Al-Ahram, Egypt's leading pro-government daily, 
published a story on June 23 quoting Sheikh Ali Gom'a, 
appointed by the GOE as Mufti of the Republic, as describing 
"resistance to occupation in Iraq" as an "obligatory right" 
for Muslims.   According to the piece, Gom'a added two 
caveats, first stating that such resistance "must be in an 
organized manner and under a single banner" and warning that 
operations "which kill civilians under the slogan of jihad to 
liberate Iraq are a kind of mockery and chaos which distort 
the image of Islam and Muslims."   The story was subsequently 
picked up by an international wire service, which noted that 
it confirmed the accuracy of the statement with the Mufti's 
office.   Ironically, the quote came out during or after 
Gom'a received in his office Sheikh Adnan Al-Delemi, Iraq's 
Minister of Awqaf (Islamic religious endowments). 
 
3. (C) The Embassy contacted Wassel Al-Sayyed, Director of 
Gom'a's office on June 27 to inquire whether the Mufti had 
indeed been accurately quoted by Al-Ahram.  Al-Sayyed was 
equivocal, promising to look into the matter and call back. 
We will follow up with Al-Sayyed on June 28. 
 
4. (C) Separately, the independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm 
reported June 26 a controversial statement made by Sheikh 
Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi, the cleric who, as Grand Imam of 
Al-Azhar, is Egypt's senior Islamic spiritual leader and one 
of Sunni Islam's most prominent clerical figures.  According 
to the report, Tantawi, asked by the press about the Iraqi 
insurgency following his meeting with former Iraqi Prime 
Minister Iyad Allawi, said that while killing civilians is 
anathema to Islam, operations directed against coalition 
forces could be justified because the forces could be 
tantamount to occupation or colonialism. 
 
5. (C) The Embassy contacted on June 27 Sheikh Fawzi 
Al-Khalawi of Sheikh Tantawi's office seeking clarification 
of this report.  Khalawi insisted that the statement 
attributed to Tantawi in Al-Masry Al-Youm was fabricated, 
noting that the Grand Imam did not discuss with reporters any 
aspect of his meeting with Allawi.  Khalawi noted that while 
reporters staking out the Tantawi-Allawi meeting were not 
allowed access to the Grand Imam, they did speak briefly with 
Allawi as he departed Tantawi's office and proceeded to his 
vehicle. 
 
 
6. (C) Comment:  We cannot be certain as to what either 
figure exactly said - no fatwas were issued and no transcript 
of their remarks, beyond what was reported in the media, is 
available.  We are inclined to doubt in particular the 
veracity of reports that Tantawi explicitly condoned attacks 
on coalition forces in Iraq.  Indeed, there are other reports 
that Al-Azhar's Islamic Research Center, which issues fatwas 
(legal interpretations of Islamic law), may soon issue a 
fatwa calling on Iraqi Muslims to support their government, 
reportedly in reponse to a request (or suggestion) conveyed 
by Iyad Allawi during his meeting with Tantawi.  Moreover, 
Tantawi has, in past public remarks, been supportive of the 
process of normalization and pacification in Iraq and, in 
past meetings with USG officials, (privately) welcomed the 
removal of Saddam Hussein. 
 
7. (C) Comment continued:  Both Tantawi and Gom'a are usually 
circumspect when making statements that have international 
political implications - often emphasizing that they are 
qualified to speak about religious affairs, not political 
matters.  Consequently, they tend to use vague and general 
language that sometimes seems designed to please more than 
one audience.  In this case, reports that Tantawi, and/or the 
Mufti, both condemned attacks on innocent civilians, and 
upheld Muslims' right to resist occupation, are reminiscent 
of previous statements each has made when asked about 
violence in Israel/Palestine, but reports that they made 
specific reference in remarks to the press about "coalition 
forces in Iraq" strike us a stretch, as they generally eschew 
such specificity.  End comment. 
 
 
Visit Embassy Cairo's Classified Website: 
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State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. 
 
CORBIN