US embassy cable - 05DHAKA3418

C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 003418 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/12/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, BG, Jamaat Islami (JI) 
SUBJECT: SPLIT AMONG BANGLADESHI ISLAMIST GROUPS FESTERS 
 
REF: DHAKA 02409 
 
Classified By: A/DCM D.C. McCullough, reasons 1.4 b,d. 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Jamaat Islami leaders assert they are 
unfazed by increased attempts by other Islamist elements to 
discredit JI as the principal voice of political Islam in 
Bangladesh.    END SUMMARY 
 
2. (SBU) On July 10, poloff met with AMM Bahauddin, editor of 
the Islamist oriented "Inquilab" newspaper regarding a recent 
meeting of top Islamic scholars which branded Jamaat Islami 
(JI) as the "main enemy of Islam."  This event is part of a 
movement started a few months back among  factions of the 
Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ), a member of the ruling coalition, 
and AMM Bahauddin to unite a large number of Islamist groups 
against the mainstream JI and undermine the BNP-led coalition 
(reftel). 
 
3. (C) Bahauddin, who organized the meeting of Islamist 
scholars, claimed that JI itself has been targeting the 
institutions of "mainstream Islamic practice" in Bangladesh 
and in that way became the "main enemy of Islam."  He pointed 
to JI's disapproval and denunciation of Bangladeshi worship 
at Islamic shrines and the pir system as examples of targeted 
institutions.  He cited theological differences as the main 
points of contention between JI and other Islamist parties 
and scholars.  According to Bahauddin, hardly 10% of alia 
madrassah teachers support JI and that most Qwami madrassahs 
are against JI. 
 
4.  On July 11, poloff met with Abdul Razzaq, Assistant 
Secretary General of JI, who was quick to downplay and 
 
SIPDIS 
dismiss the statements made against JI.  He acknowledged that 
there are differences within the four party ruling coalition 
but characterized the main differences as political--"we are 
in the government they aren't"--and not theological.  Razzaq 
suggested that "forces outside the Islamic groups are trying 
to dismantle the alliance" and that differences within the 
coalition are exaggerated by the media.  Razzaq concluded, 
"If the BNP and JI stay together, there is no difference if 
the other Islamic groups separate--they are fringe and 
insignificant anyways." 
 
5. Razzaq also noted the differences in madrassah support 
within the Islamic coalition but was confident that JI 
enjoyed more widespread support than the other parties.  Even 
though he acknowledged growing differences, he hoped that by 
election time there would be no more gulf between the Islamic 
parties. 
 
6. (C) Comment:  While the anti-JI groups aim to embarrass 
and undermine the JI's claim to be the voice of political 
Islam in Bangladesh, the JI-BNP alliance looks strong enough 
to withstand these barbs. 
CHAMMAS