US embassy cable - 05NDJAMENA1636

UNCLAS  NDJAMENA 001636 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/C, LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA- 
WATCHERS 
INFO AF/PD (SWESTGATE) 
 
C O R R E C T E D  V E R S I O N 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, OIIP, KPAO, KIRF, PHUM, KWMN, CD, Humanitarian Operations 
SUBJECT: RAMADAN ACTIVITIES 2005 
 
 
1.  (SBU)  Summary:  To celebrate Ramadan this 
year, Embassy N'Djamena organized a talk by Dr. 
Abderrahmane Almahy, rector of King Faisal 
University, on October 25th.  The talk was 
followed by an Iftar dinner hosted by the 
Ambassador at his residence.  For the final day of 
Ramadan, PAO traveled north to Mao to attend the 
Sultan's festival and meet with local NGOs.  End 
Summary 
 
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TALK 
--------------- 
 
2.  (SBU)  In celebration of Ramadan, and in an 
ongoing effort to increase Muslim outreach 
activities, Embassy N'Djamena invited Dr. 
Abderrahmane Oumar Almahy, rector of the Saudi- 
funded King Faisal University - the largest Arabic- 
language University in Chad, with nearly 3,000 
students - to give a talk in the PAS multi-purpose 
room.  Dr. Almahy, a noted Islamic scholar who has 
published over 20 books and the 2004 recipient of 
the Chadian National Legion of Honor medal, 
participated in the State Department's 
international visitors program for Muslim leaders 
in 2002.  On October 25, 2005, he spoke to an 
audience of approximately 65 people, including 15 
women, about his experiences in the United States 
during Ramadan 2002.  The audience included 
Chadian government officials, representatives of 
the High Islamic Council, the Sudanese ambassador 
and Libyan charg d'affairs, a number of local 
Imams and Islamic scholars, and members of the 
Arabic-language media.  The Ambassador welcomed 
the group with a few remarks in Arabic, followed 
by a short talk on the importance of religious 
tolerance.  Dr. Almahy then presented for over an 
hour, and answered half a dozen questions.  He 
spoke very highly of the level of religious 
freedom in the United States, and of his positive 
impressions of the American Muslim community. 
General reaction from the audience was extremely 
positive, and the event received heavy coverage on 
television, radio, and print media.  The Public 
Affairs Section (PAS) received over a dozen phone 
calls from attendees in the days following the 
conference, all of whom offered expressions of 
gratitude for the invitation to the event. 
 
 
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PRAYER AND IFTAR 
----------------- 
 
3.  (SBU)  Immediately following Dr. Almahy's 
talk, participants moved to the Information 
Resource Center to break the fast with water, 
juice and dates, and to pray on the lawn adjacent 
to the library.  All the participants then moved 
to the residence, where they were greeted 
individually by the Ambassador on the back lawn 
and offered a large Iftar dinner.  In addition to 
the attendees of the talk, Embassy N'Djamena 
invited Christian leaders from N'Djamena to the 
dinner, bringing the total number of guests to 
approximately 100.  After the first course of soup 
and bread, the Ambassador gave a short speech, 
again on the subject of religious freedom and 
tolerance, followed by brief remarks by Dr. 
Almahy, who thanked the Embassy for organizing the 
event and summarized the content of his talk. 
Participants then ate a second course of meat, 
vegetables, and couscous, before departing. 
 
--------------- 
TRAVEL TO MAO 
--------------- 
 
4.  (SBU)  Over the past six years, the PAS has 
cultivated a close relationship with AJAC 
(Association de Jeunesse Anti-Clivage), a local 
NGO in the city of Mao, regional capital of the 
Kanem province, approximately 220 miles north of 
N'Djamena.  AJAC, whose director was an 
international visitor in 1998, works against 
ethnic and gender discrimination, early marriage, 
and also promotes HIV-AIDS awareness and 
prevention.  This year, PAS N'Djamena helped AJAC 
with a small grant to fund their outreach 
activities, including a public event promoting HIV- 
AIDS awareness that coincided with the end of 
Ramadan.  The PAO, accompanied by PAS Muslim 
outreach specialist, traveled to Mao to attend 
this event, at which he was invited to speak. 
During the two-day trip, the PAO also paid 
courtesy calls on local officials, including the 
governor, the prefet, the mayor, and the police 
chief.  He discussed the implementation of the 
"Shared Futures" project in the region with the 
governor.  The PAO visited with the Sultan of 
Kanem, the Grand Imam of Mao, and a local 
Protestant pastor, and was a guest of honor at the 
annual Ramadan cultural festival held outside the 
Sultan's palace. He also held meetings with a 
group of representatives from 20 local women's 
groups, and 12 local NGOs, discussing possible 
future USG cooperation in the region. The latter 
meeting was covered by the regional correspondent 
of Radio Chad, who sent a dispatch to N'Djamena. 
Finally, the PAO visited at length with the local 
Peace Corps volunteer, who was also able to attend 
the meetings with local NGOs and women's groups, 
many of whom she works with quite closely. 
 
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COMMENT 
------- 
 
5.  (SBU)  Both of these events --  the Ramadan 
talk/Iftar and the PAS trip to Mao -- are examples 
of the Embassy's continued Muslim outreach 
programs, reflecting a core MPP goal.  By placing 
moderate Muslim leaders such as Dr. Almahy in the 
public spotlight, Embassy N'Djamena hopes to 
promote increased interest in moderate Islam in 
Chad.  By traveling to isolated majority-Muslim 
towns such as Mao, the PAS hopes to illustrate the 
Embassy's interest in rural Chad, and promote a 
positive view of America in the eyes of rural 
Muslims. 
 
 
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