US embassy cable - 05MANAMA1426

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 001426 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD 
USTR FOR J BUNTIN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, KISL, ETRD, BA 
SUBJECT: NEWSPAPER'S FALSE ACCUSATION AGAINST EMBASSY 
INCITES CRITICISM FROM SUNNI CLERICS 
 
 
Classified by Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
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Summary 
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1.  (C) Arabic daily Akhbar Al Khaleej September 29 printed a 
small front-page item accusing the Embassy of a superpower of 
requesting the names of Sunni preachers in Bahrain so it 
could monitor their statements and criticisms.  Several Sunni 
Imams denounced this alleged request in their September 30 
Friday sermons, which they attributed to the United States. 
The Imams and a columnist linked this charge with the recent 
leak of news that the GOB had closed the Israel boycott 
office on the eve of congressional hearings on ratification 
of the U.S.-Bahrain free trade agreement, saying these 
developments demonstrate American interference in Bahrain's 
domestic affairs.  The Embassy issued a press release October 
1 categorically refuting the accusation.  The recent opening 
of parliament and resumption of regular sessions provide 
another opportunity for our opponents to complain at high 
volume about the U.S. role in Bahrain.  End Summary. 
 
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Alleged Request for Preacher Names 
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2.  (U) The September 29 edition of the Arabic daily Akhbar 
Al Khaleej, known for its pan-Arabic editorial slant, 
contained a front-page piece titled, "The Embassy of a 
Superpower Requests List of Names of Mosque Preachers!"  The 
one-sentence item says that the Embassy of a superpower 
requested the names of all Sunni preachers to understand 
their perspectives and to monitor their criticism of the 
superpower. 
 
3.  (U) The accusation was widely discussed in Sunni 
preachers' Friday sermons September 30.  Shaikh Nasser Al 
Fadallah, an outspoken critic of the United States who had 
been temporarily removed from his position as Imam at a 
Muharraq mosque for one month during the summer for his 
scathing and unfounded criticism of the U.S. and Israel, 
strongly denounced the alleged request, asking, "How bold can 
the Ambassador be?"  He complained the Ambassador does not 
have the right to monitor the affairs of clerics in the 
country, and demanded an urgent parliamentary investigation. 
Comments from Fadallah and other preachers received 
front-page coverage in the press October 1. 
 
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Linking Claim with End of Israel Boycott 
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4.  (U) Shaikh Mohammed Khalid, a virulently anti-American 
member of parliament, described the request as a disgrace. 
He claimed the U.S. wanted to categorize Sunni Imams 
according to their views and issue orders to the Bahraini 
government to transfer or silence critics.  He cursed the 
United States and asked God to punish Americans, referring to 
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  He feared the Ambassador's 
"orders" to the government would be obeyed, like the 
government did when "it lifted the ban on Zionist goods," a 
reference to the closure of the Israel boycott office. 
Shaikh Adel Al Hassan complained of flagrant interference in 
domestic affairs.  Shaikh Ibrahim Bu Sandal said the request 
has dangerous consequences and Bahrainis must unite to 
prevent such interference, as they should do to oppose 
lifting the ban on Israeli goods. 
 
5.  (U) Akhbar Al Khaleej columnist Hisham Al Zayani wrote 
October 1, "What does the American Ambassador have to do with 
Sunni mosque Imams?  Why does he want to know their names? 
Is it because he wants to complain about them to the Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs when they say something that he is not 
happy with, and therefore issues orders to ban them?  What 
are the authorities of the U.S. Ambassador in the country? 
Has he become the ruler of this country?" 
 
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Press Release Corrects the Record 
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6.  (U) The Embassy issued a press release October 1 that 
read, "In reference to press reports and statements over the 
weekend alleging that the U.S. Ambassador or the U.S. Embassy 
requested from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs a list of 
Friday preachers at Sunni mosques in Bahrain, the U.S. 
Embassy wants to make perfectly clear that neither the U.S. 
Ambassador nor any member of the embassy staff requested such 
a list and has no intention of doing so.  These reports are 
simply unfounded."  The statement ran in English and Arabic 
in all Bahraini papers that had previously covered the issue. 
 
7.  (C) While researching the 2005 International Religious 
Freedom report during the late spring, EmbOffs asked the 
Ministry of Islamic Affairs for the number of Sunni and Shia 
mosques present in Bahrain.  The Ministry was uncomfortable 
responding to the question and referred it to the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs.  We never received an answer.  We have more 
recently had discussions with officials at the Ministry of 
Islamic Affairs on possible cooperation and programming to 
encourage moderation at the mosques, but we have not asked 
for a list of Friday speakers and do not know how this false 
report was generated.  The editor of Akhbar Al Khaleej 
continues to insist that he received his information from a 
reliable source. 
 
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Comment 
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8.  (C) Opponents of the United States in Bahrain have been 
on edge since word leaked of the GOB's closure of the Israel 
boycott office, which anti-normalization forces have 
characterized as Bahraini capitulation to American demands 
related to congressional ratification of the free trade 
agreement (septel).  They have been looking for a reason to 
complain publicly about the United States, and the patently 
untrue claim of an American demand for a list of Sunni 
preachers' names provided them with just the right excuse. 
The issue is beginning to die down, but the commencement this 
week of regular sessions of the elected lower house Council 
of Representatives offers another public opportunity for our 
critics to complain at high volume about American 
"interference" in Bahraini domestic affairs. 
 
MONROE