US embassy cable - 05MANAMA1012

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 001012 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, KISL, KPAO, BA 
SUBJECT: SPEAKING WITH MUSLIM LEADERS ABOUT TERRORIST ACS: 
BAHRAIN 
 
REF: A. STATE 121757 B. MANAMA 949 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe.  Reason: 1.4 (B)(D) 
 
1. (C) The Embassy, in response to Ref A instruction, has 
focused its initial efforts to encourage denunciation and 
delegitimization of terrorist violence on engagement with 
Bahrain's senior leadership, including the King, Minister of 
Information/Min State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed Abdul 
Ghaffar, and Deputy Minister of Islamic Affairs Shaikh Fareed 
Al-Muftah.  Tragically, this engagement has coincided with 
the July 5 shooting of Bahrain's senior diplomat in Baghdad 
and the July 7 terrorist bombings in London.  Both incidents 
generated strong statements against terrorism by Bahrain's 
leaders and citizens. 
 
2. (C) The Ambassador raised the issue with King Hamad on 
July 5, just hours after Bahrain's Charge d'Affaires in Iraq 
Hassan Al-Ansari was wounded in an attack in Baghdad.   When 
the Ambassador urged the King to look for ways to denounce 
terrorism publicly, the King responded positively, turning to 
Royal Court minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed and saying that, 
in their statements on the Baghdad attack, they should stress 
that it was contrary to what Islam was about.  The King 
stated that he would look for other opportunities to stress 
that Islam is against terrorism and is a religion of 
tolerance, moderation, and brotherhood.  (Note: In an initial 
statement issued to the press that night, the King was quoted 
as telling Al-Ansari that "such terrorist acts did not belong 
to Islam."  End note.) 
 
3. (C) The Ambassador delivered Ref A points to Minister of 
Information/Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Abdul 
Ghaffar on July 9, noting that the July 7 London bombings 
underscored all the more the importance of strong statements 
denouncing terrorism.  Abdul Ghaffar responded that he was 
very upset by what had happened in London, and wanted to 
develop television and radio programming to promote the 
message that Islam is a religion of tolerance and peace, and 
not terrorism.  This message has been hijacked by the 
terrorists, he stated, and television can play a better role 
in reaching out to young people with a positive message about 
Islam. 
 
4. (C) The Ambassador met July 13 with Deputy Minister of 
Islamic Affairs Shaikh Fareed Al-Muftah to discuss ways in 
which Muslim religious leaders in Bahrain could play a role 
in promoting moderation and denouncing terrorism.  Shaikh 
Fareed stated he was very supportive of our effort, noting 
that he had recently attended a meeting of Islamic clerics 
and scholars in Amman in which King Abdullah had spoken 
strongly against terrorism as something against the spirit 
and principles of Islam.  He said the conference had issued 
20 fatwas, including one that condemned violence. 
 
5. (C) For Bahrain, Shaikh Fareed stated that, in the short 
term, he planned, subject to approval by the Minister of 
Islamic Affairs, to prepare language for Friday sermons to be 
issued to imams and preachers that would condemn terrorism 
and violence.  This language would not be based simply on 
personal abhorrence of terrorism, he said, but would draw 
from citations from the Koran.  He acknowledged that some 
preachers would ignore the guidance, but expected more 
moderate ones to draw from it.  For the longer term, and to 
try to influence some of the more extreme preachers, he 
planned to hold a series of workshops in the fall to discuss 
the issue of moderation and Islam and train preachers on how 
to give effective speeches that do not encourage violence. 
For these workshops, he welcomed the participation of an 
American Muslim scholar. (Note: Embassy will explore 
possibility of bringing a speaker for this purpose.  End 
note.) 
 
6. (U) One of the strongest recent statements on terrorism by 
a religious figure came from leading Shia Cleric Issa Qassim 
in his June 24 Friday sermon, in which he stated: "We must be 
wise and reasonable with foreign antagonistic rhetoric 
against Islam.  We must be vigilant and alert but we must be 
as far as possible from fatwas of terrorism and incitement in 
the local and international community.  Our school is a 
school of peace, security, stability, and dialogue.  Our 
slogan remains 'the dialogue of civilizations' instead of 
'the clash of civilizations.'" 
 
7. (U) Government leaders and Shia clerics issued strong 
condemnations of terrorism in their responses to the July 7 
London bombings.  In condolence letters to British leaders, 
the King, Crown Prince and Prime Minister condemned the July 
7 terrorist attack and called it a criminal act that 
contradicted religious and humanitarian principles.  The King 
stated that global efforts will help eradicate terrorism and 
that democratic principles, freedoms, peace and security will 
prevail.  Abdul Ghaffar told the press that such attacks " 
contravene all religious and divine laws and are against 
moral and human values."  In his July 8 Friday sermon, Shaikh 
Issa Qassim condemned the London attacks and said that Islam 
requires the condemnation of any and all terrorist activities 
regardless of the perpetrator.  Shia cleric and opposition 
Al-Wifaq President Shaikh Ali Salman denounced terrorist 
activities against innocent people in London, Iraq, and 
elsewhere. 
MONROE