US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD3042

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003042 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/22/2025 
TAGS: PREL, KDEM, IZ, XL, Elections 
SUBJECT: FALLUJAH:  CITY IMAMS ISSUE FATWA ON POLITICAL 
PARTICIPATION; IECI FLIERS DISTRIBUTED 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT S. FORD. 
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  During a July 19 Fallujah city council 
session, Sheikh Kamal Shakir Mahmood -- a leading imam and 
council member -- announced that city clerics had issued a 
Fatwa (religious edict) calling upon all Fallujah residents 
to participate in the upcoming referendum and election. 
City imams had relayed the message through their mosques 
July 15.  The Fatwa has only been issued orally.  Fallujah 
City Council Vice-Chairman Qassim Mohamed Abdulsattar al- 
Jassam told Fallujah Poloff privately that approximately 
100,000 IECI referendum and election fliers had been 
brought to Fallujah; some had already been distributed to 
residents.  City leaders have stated they intend to keep 
national political issues on their local civic agenda. They 
want to work cooperatively with the Coalition and Iraqi 
Security Forces to ensure high voter turnout.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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EDICT UNANIMOUS; IECI MATERIALS ON HAND 
--------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (C) In an aside to Fallujah Poloff July 19, Sheikh 
Kamal said that he expected "at least 50 percent of the 
city" to participate in the upcoming referendum.  He was 
not overly worried about intimidation because a "majority" 
of Fallujans wanted to vote, adding "we will take even the 
aged to the polls."  Another city leader, Engineer Fawzi 
(who initiated a separate grass-roots political gathering 
in early June) agreed.  Sheikh Kamal said that the imams' 
decision to issue the edict had been unanimous.  City 
religious leaders intended to help educate residents on 
political matters. 
 
3.  (C) Kamal said the edict had been initiated locally. 
There is also growing interest in participating in the 
political process in the provincial capital, Ramadi.  In a 
July 17 PRDC meeting, Anbar Governor Mamoun passed two 
letters to Marine officers from the Provincial Council. 
One served as a call to action, urging non-complacency of 
Anbar Sunnis regarding national politics; the other 
contained a long list of complaints and concerns about 
security and reconstruction province-wide for which the 
Provincial Government seeks readdress in preparation for 
the referendum and elections.  Both letters originated from 
a July 13th Provincial Council meeting that had focused on 
the referendum and subsequent election.  As the Provincial 
Council has four members active in Fallujah, there may have 
been coordination between the cities regarding the 
substance of the fatwa and letters.  Both seem to be driven 
by reports of a fatwa expected from "senior Sunni Scholars" 
which concluded a conference in Baghdad on this subject 
immediately prior to the July 13 PC Meeting.  In a meeting 
with Division Assistant Division Commander July 20, Al 
Anbar Deputy Governor Talal stated that Adnan Al-Dulaimi, 
the head of the Sunni Endowment, had been announced the 
fatwa for all of Iraq; however, they had not seen a copy of 
the text of the message itself.  END NOTE. 
 
4.  (C) PolOff urged continued city leaders to maintain 
their focus on the referendum and civic education 
initiatives, and reiterated that Iraq's political process 
was its own, not influenced by the U.S. or coalition. 
(Comment:  Media reports about allegedly planned, 
eventually abandoned, covert U.S. intervention in the 
January 30 National Assembly election will inevitably be 
raised by Fallujah leaders and skeptical residents.  Tribal 
leaders asked PolOff in prior meeting how Iraq's emerging 
democratic process can be safeguarded as fair and free. 
Such media reports in Western and Arab press will likely 
not be viewed as reassuring among Fallujah leaders 
regarding claimed U.S. neutrality in Iraqi politics.  End 
Comment.) 
 
5.  (C) Fallujah Mayor Dhari told Poloff and a Marine civil 
affairs officer July 20, that the city council would keep 
the referendum and election on its weekly agenda, and that 
area tribal leaders were also prepared to inform local 
Sunnis about the constitution and election.  Council vice 
chairman Qassim noted that locals had secured approximately 
100,000 IECI fliers on referendum and election issues from 
Baghdad.  These materials were in the city; some had been 
distributed.  (Note:  PolOff has requested a copy of the 
IECI materials, in addition to the fatwa, which locals 
agreed to provide.  End Note.) 
 
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JUNIOR IMAMS TALK POLITICS 
-------------------------- 
 
6.  (C) Two younger, lower-ranking imams confirmed that the 
fatwa had been issued in the city.  One told PolOff in a 
brif meeting July 19, that he had been "very surprised" by 
the announcement, noting that he never thought his local 
mosque's imam would "utter these words."  He believed 60-70 
percent of the city would turn out for the referendum.  The 
other said that the fatwa had been less of a surprise to 
him because most residents realized that not participating 
in the January 30 election had been a mistake -- city imams 
now understood this, too.  He emphasized that since Iraqis 
"had only known war -- with Iran and now" many looked to 
the referendum and election for hope and improvement. 
 
7.  (C) COMMENT:  We are not aware of a broad statement by 
the Sunni Endowment beyond its public statements supporting 
political participation broadly and in the constitution 
drafting more specifically.  The announcement of the fatwa 
about the October elections in Fallujah marks an important 
step forward as Fallujah leaders begin to attempt to engage 
and educate citizens, largely on their own initiative, 
about the national political process.  Fallujah still 
stands as Iraq's "city of mosques" despite its troubled 
past; a united stand by its religious leaders -- if 
sustained -- could help move a majority of residents 
(including those in outlying communities) to October 
polling sites.  Insurgent intimidation in the city remains 
a concern, although it appears not to be an overriding one 
among residents at present.  More Fallujans seem to 
understand that standing together as a majority will help 
beat back insurgent attempts to replace their current 
grass-roots political initiative with fear and related 
inaction.  This toughened approach will undoubtedly be 
further tested in the run-up to referendum and election 
days.  Current momentum is not guaranteed to last.  It is 
clear that Fallujah leaders, however, both religious and 
political, have calculated for now that non-participation 
in January came at too high a price to be repeated.  This 
is positive progress on the political process in Fallujah. 
It is worth remembering that Islamists are driving the 
process in Fallujah so far, and may well do so in Anbar 
more generally - as they largely did in Shia regions.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
 
Satterfield