US embassy cable - 05DUBLIN1216

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBLIN 001216 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, PINR 
SUBJECT: IRISH SHI'A MUSLIMS PLEA FOR U.S. TO STAY IN IRAQ 
 
REF: DUBLIN 1161 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR JAMES C. KENNY, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B), (D) 
 
1. (C)  Summary.  On September 26, the Ambassador met with 
five prominent Iraqi Shi'a members of the Irish Islamic 
community to initiate dialogue and advance post's Muslim 
Outreach program.  The Imam of the Shi'a community, Dr. Ali 
Al-Saleh, expressed gratitude to the USG for removing Saddam 
Hussein and solidarity with the U.S. in the fight against 
terrorism.  He stated that the commitment to Iraq must not be 
short-term and that the U.S.-Iraqi partnership, if 
maintained, will bring change to the Middle East.  He added 
that the very process of drafting the constitution was 
changing the mentality of Iraqis.  For example, he said Imams 
involved in the process now recognize democracy and women's 
rights as compatible with Islam.  The Irish Shi'as have 
concerns that extremists are operating in Ireland and do not 
have confidence that Irish authorities take the matter 
seriously.  According to this group of Shi'as, the 
terrorists' most effective recruiting tools in the West and 
Iraq are the ideology of Wahhabism and the use of the media. 
End Summary. 
 
Iraq is Key to Middle East Stability 
------------------------------------ 
 
2. (C)  On September 26, the Ambassador, DCM and Pol/Econ 
section met with five prominent members of the Shi'a 
community in Ireland to initiate dialogue and advance post's 
Muslim Outreach program.  Especially noteworthy were the 
comments of the Imam of Ahlul-Bait Islamic Center, Dr. Ali A. 
A. Al-Saleh.  Dr. Al-Saleh, of Iraqi, Saudi and Irish 
citizenship, expressed a strong sense of solidarity with the 
United States and the USG policy in Iraq.  He told the 
Ambassador that the Iraqi people are grateful for the U.S. 
intervention in Iraq, but that removing Saddam Hussein was 
only the first and easiest step.  He stated that our mutual 
goal now is not to change Iraq, but to change the region. 
Iraq is committed to regional stability and democracy and 
needs continued USG partnership.  The group of Shi'as also 
told the Ambassador that much of the world wants the U.S. to 
fail in Iraq and they are concerned that we will listen to 
Iraq's neighbors, Arab press, Western press, and the Anti-War 
movements and withdraw from Iraq.  They were especially 
incensed at Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal's September 
24 remarks on his concern that ongoing problems in Iraq will 
cause regional instability.  They counter this argument by 
stating the case that democracy in Iraq will flourish and 
spread.  They reiterated the urgency for continued U.S. 
support and involvement in the long-term.  In the short-term 
they asked that we send more troops to help secure the 
country for the upcoming elections and not falter in our 
commitment to the Iraqi people. 
 
Women and the Constitution 
-------------------------- 
 
3. (C)  According to Al-Saleh, Ambassador Bremer deserves 
credit for pushing through the Iraqi constitution and 
inserting language on the rights of women.  Al-Saleh said 
that though women's rights are protected under Islam, 
cultural practices in the Middle East undermine these 
protections.  Due to the support of the draft constitution by 
Grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani, and now many other Iraqi Muslim 
clerics, Al-Saleh said that minds are being changed towards 
women.  He added that the key to bringing democracy to Iraq 
is to change the attitudes of the Muslim clerics.  According 
to Al-Saleh, if the constitution were adopted with the 
requirement that women hold 25 percent of the parliamentary 
seats, this right for women would be enforceable.  In 
contrast, in other Muslim nations, women's rights are simply 
given lip service.  He mentioned that in cases where there is 
no mandate towards women's rights, there is no incentive to 
provide for them. Al-Saleh also stated that before U.S. 
intervention in Iraq, Muslims wondered if Islam was 
compatible with democracy.  Now, though, Iraqis are saying 
that one cannot have Islam without democracy. 
 
Extremists in Ireland 
--------------------- 
 
4. (C)  The group relayed to the Ambassador their view that 
Wahhabism is the largest recruitment tool for Jihadists, 
including in Western countries such as Ireland.  (Note:  The 
Shi'a Muslim community here is considerably smaller than that 
of the Sunni Muslims.)  According to the group, extremists 
are operating in Ireland, and they offered the following 
reflections on the "moderate" Sunni community: 
 
--Refusal to condemn the 7/7 London bombings. 
--Reports of celebrations at the Sunni school during the 7/7 
London bombings. 
--Reluctance to join a moderate Islamic Council (proposed by 
Shi'a leaders). 
--Reports that Osama Bin Laden is mentioned as a role model 
for children at the Sunni school. 
--Reports of Irish Jihadists killed in Iraq. 
--Concern that sleeper cells in Ireland have intent to cause 
harm in the Republic. 
--Concern that extremists deported under new UK terror laws 
might relocate in Ireland. 
--Perceived soft handling of extremists by Irish police, that 
they monitor top suspects, but overlook lower echelons of 
extremists, and that the Irish asylum policy leads to 
citizenship for extremists. 
 
Note:  The above comments undoubtedly reflect the division 
between the Shi'a and Sunni communities in Ireland.  We 
believe they  were conveyed to embassy staff in good faith, 
but contain some exaggerations and inaccuracies.  End note. 
 
Media Conspiracy 
---------------- 
 
5. (C)  Ahmed Al-Mousawi, a student at a local university, 
said that the second largest recruitment tool for Jihadists 
is media complicity with terrorism.  By exaggerating the 
numbers killed, and highlighting the negative, Arab and 
Western media have drawn more support to the insurgency and 
created a knowledge vacuum.  Al-Mousawi said that attention 
has successfully been diverted from the fact that Iraqis are 
now liberated.  He added that many Iraqis and Irish no longer 
believe that the U.S. went to help Iraq.  He implicated 
Al-Jazeera as a direct cause of violence in Iraq and 
associated Western reporting as a conspiracy attempt to 
distort or ignore the truth, which, together, serves as a 
powerful recruitment tool for young jihadists. 
 
Milltown Mosque and the Current Iraqi Government 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
6. (C)  According to Al-Saleh, the Shi'a Ahlul-Bait Islamic 
Center, commonly called the Milltown Mosque, maintained ties 
with Iraqi opposition groups operating out of London during 
the time of Saddam Hussein.  Some of the current Iraqi 
leadership spent time at the Mosque, and according to 
Al-Saleh learned from the Mosque leaders how to relate to the 
West.  Such guests include: 
--Iraqi Prime Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al-Jaafari, 
--Deputy Speaker Dr. Hussein Shahristani, 
--Deputy Foreign Minister Hamid Al-Bayati. 
 
The Mosque is host to approximately 250 Shi'a Muslims in 
Ireland, a majority of whom are Iraqi.  Other nationalities 
and ethnic backgrounds such as Bahraini, Saudi Arabian, 
Kuwaiti, Lebanese and Iranian also frequent the center. 
 
Shi'a Muslims 
------------- 
 
7. (C)  The following is a list of the Iraqi Shi'a Muslims 
that met with the Ambassador: 
 
--Dr. Ali A. A. Al-Saleh-Imam of the Milltown Mosque. 
Citizenship-Irish/Iraqi/Saudi Arabian.  He is a medical 
doctor by training.  He has lived in Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia 
and Ireland.  While in Saudi Arabia, he worked 
to promote democracy among the minority Shi'a community. 
 
--Khalid Ibrahim.  Citizenship-Irish/Iraqi.  He is ethnically 
Faily-Kurdish.  He is a member of the One World 
Society and Frontline (a human rights NGO).  He occasionally 
conducts radio interviews in support of USG policy 
in Iraq. 
 
--Mohammed Hassan Ali Arafat-Citizenship Irish/Iraqi.  He is 
ethnically Turkomen from Mosul, Ninevah, Iraq.  He is an 
engineering student and the only Shi'a member of the Dublin 
City University Islamic Society.  He is post's nominee to 
the International Visitor Leadership Program's "A Project for 
Young Muslim Leaders on U.S. Political, Social and 
Educational Issues." 
 
--Ahmed Hadi Hussein Al-Mousawi-Citizenship Irish/Iraqi.  He 
is an engineering student at Dublin City University. 
 
--Sheikh Khalid Baghdadi-Citizenship Irish/Iraqi.  He is the 
assistant to Imam Al-Saleh. 
 
KENNY