US embassy cable - 05PARIS4919

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 004919 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/14/2015 
TAGS: KPAO, PREL, PTER, KISL, FR 
SUBJECT: SPEAKING TO FRENCH MUSLIM LEADERS ABOUT TERRORIST 
ACTS 
 
REF: A. STATE 121758 
     B. 07/11/05 MILLER-HURLEY EMAIL 
 
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Post maintains an active dialogue with leaders in the 
French Muslim community.  During the past year, Poloffs have 
met with the leadership of the three main organizations 
within the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), which 
was established in 2003 as the main interlocutor of the GOF 
with the practicing Muslim community.  Last October, as in 
previous years, the Ambassador hosted an Iftar dinner during 
Ramadan.  Emboffs have visited mosques and interacted with 
both religious and secular Muslims on a variety of issues. 
Members of the Muslim community are regularly included in 
roundtable discussions and nominated to participate in 
exchange programs. 
 
2.  (C) As per reftel A, we have spoken with a number of key 
Muslim leaders regarding terrorism, many in the aftermath of 
the attacks in London.  All have vehemently denounced 
terrorism in general and the acts perpetrated in London in 
particular.  Specific public statements and press releases of 
Muslim groups from throughout the country have been sent to 
EUR/PPD (reftel B) in English and the original French, when 
possible.  The statements will soon be available on our 
classified SIPRNet site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm 
 
3.  (U)  The following are among the highlights of the French 
Muslim response to the London attacks: 
 
-- Dr. Dalil Boubakeur, Rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris 
and President of the CFCM, stated, "The CFCM condemns this 
extremely serious criminal act, which spread death and 
desolation and cannot in any way claim to represent the 
values of Islam." 
 
-- Fouad Alaoui, Secretary General of the Union of Islamic 
Organizations in France (UOIF) and Vice-President of the 
CFCM, wrote to the British Ambassador in France expressing 
his "firmest condemnations of these odious and inhuman acts." 
 In a press release, Alaoui announced, "On this painful 
occasion, the UOIF expresses its total condemnation of these 
acts that targeted innocent human lives." 
 
-- A press release from the National Federation of France's 
Muslims (FNMF) declared, "We learned with great shock and 
sadness of the attacks that cruelly struck the people of 
London.  We are, and will always be, dismayed by the loss of 
innocent lives.  We deplore and condemn such acts of terror." 
STAPLETON