US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI3242

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 003242 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ARPI, AND NEA/PD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/23/2015 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, KISL, KPAO, TC 
SUBJECT: UAE CONDEMNS SHARM AL SHEIKH ATTACK 
 
REF: ABU DHABI 3161 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR MICHELE J. SISON, REASONS 1.4 
(B) AND (D). 
 
1. (C) Summary:  UAE leaders have publicly condemned the July 
23 attack in Egypt's Sharm Al Sheikh, and have called on 
religious leaders to preach tolerance and moderation.  Three 
UAE nationals were injured in the explosions, according to 
press reports.  As reported reftel, after the July 7 attacks 
in London, the UAEG directed imams in the 1,500 mosques where 
Friday sermons are delivered to read from sermons approved by 
the Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs condemning acts 
of terror.  The sermons are part of a national strategy to 
combat terror.  End Summary. 
 
2. (U) Following the July 23 terrorist attack in Sharm Al 
Sheikh, UAE President Khalifa made a telephone call to 
Egyptian President Mubarak and also sent him a cabled message 
of solidarity in which he strongly condemned the bombings, 
according to press reports.  Khalifa expressed confidence in 
Cairo's ability to overcome the terror acts, which "were not 
permitted by any religion, principle, or human behavior." 
Deputy Prime Minister and MinState for Foreign Affairs Sheikh 
Hamdan bin Zayed expressed the UAE's full solidarity with 
Egypt, and said the "UAE stands by Cairo in its fight against 
criminal and terror elements that choose to spread terror and 
to destroy innocent lives."  He urged Arab and Islamic 
countries to "work together in a decisive and firm manner 
against the evil group."  Hamdan also specifically called on 
religious leaders and academics "to confront destructive 
ideologies that target our societies, values and principles, 
by spreading values of tolerance and moderation in their 
societies." 
 
3. (C) After the July 7 terror attacks in London, the UAEG 
directed imams in the UAE's 1,500 Sunni and Shi,a mosques 
where Friday sermons are delivered (there are approximately 
4,000 mosques nationwide) to read verbatim from sermons 
approved by the Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs 
condemning acts of terror.  Sermons on both July 15 and 22 
denounced terrorism and extremism.  We have been told by 
ruling Al Nahyan family members that we should expect similar 
messages from the minbars in the future as part of a UAE 
national strategy to combat terror. 
 
4. (U) Information Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed sent a 
cable of condolences to the Egyptian tourism minister in 
which he said "the evil hands that committed the heinous 
crime, which left behind a big loss of lives, cannot cripple 
Egypt's ability to overcome the effect of the attacks and to 
bring the perpetrators to justice."  Other leaders who sent 
cables to Mubarak were the UAE Vice President/Prime Minister 
and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum; 
Minister of Defense, Dubai Deputy Ruler, and Dubai Crown 
Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid; Ruler of Sharjah Dr. 
Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi; Abu Dhabi Crown Prince 
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed; and Dubai Deputy Ruler and 
Minister of Finance and Industry Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid. 
 
5. (U) An editorial in the semi-official Arabic daily "Al 
Ittihad" on July 24 said that "no Muslim can find any logic 
or justification for these criminal acts."  The editorial 
asked rhetorically who the attackers intended to target and 
what cause they were fighting for, given that more than half 
the victims were Egyptians and only a few were foreigners. 
The "Al Ittihad" editorial said that the Islamic world has 
the bigger burden to call on religious institutions to 
eliminate ignorance of Islam. 
 
SISON