US embassy cable - 05ROME3828

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 003828 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR BRIAN MURPHY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2015 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, PGOV, IT, ITALIAN POLITICS 
SUBJECT: MOI PISANU NO LONGER INTERESTED IN SAUDIS TRAINING 
LOCAL IMAMS 
 
REF: A. ROME 3295 
     B. GRAPPO/PEARCE EMAIL 10/25/2005 
 
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor David Pearce for reasons 1. 
4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Minister of Interior Pisanu told the Ambassador during 
the Ambassador's introductory call in late September that he 
had been developing a close working relationship with his 
Saudi Arabian counterpart (REFTEL).  Pisanu spoke positively 
about a Saudi offer of assistance training imams operating in 
Italy.  Such training would include respect for Italian law 
and local society. 
 
2. (C) Subsequently, Minister of Interior Diplomatic Adviser 
Guido Lenzi told Poloff that the Saudi Minister of Interior 
would travel to Italy in late November in order to further 
discuss the Saudi proposal, among other issues.  Lenzi said 
that Pisanu was handling the issue himself, and Lenzi 
speculated that Pisanu was working through Mario Scialoja. 
Scialoja is a former Italian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia who 
converted to Islam and is head of the World Islamic 
Conference in Italy.  Pol M/C told Lenzi that we concur with 
the importance of teaching foreign Imams operating in Italy 
respect for western values, customs and laws.  However, Saudi 
Imams being brought to train local Imams was another matter. 
Saudi missionary preachers did not have a history of 
tolerance, tended to be conservative and critical of 
non-Wahabi forms of Islam, and would not necessarily operate 
within any Saudi government guidelines. Pol M/C therefore 
suggested to Lenzi that the GoI should be cautious in its 
approach to any program that featured introducing Saudi imams 
to Italy. 
 
3. (C) Subsequently, on November 17, Lenzi told Poloff that a 
training agreement with the Saudis was "not in the cards" and 
that Pisanu had never seriously considered the proposal. 
Lenzi added that the visit of the Saudi Minister had been 
delayed until January. 
 
4. (C)  Comment:  Pisanu appears to be backtracking on a bad 
idea.  We understand he also floated the notion of 
Saudi-trained imams with the French and the British, who 
reacted equally coolly to the proposal.  For their part, the 
Saudis, along with the Egyptians and the Moroccans, play a 
major role in managing Italy's only officially recognized 
mosque in Rome, so they will continue to be involved in 
Italo-Muslim politics.  Pisanu is wrestling seriously with 
ideas about how to best integrate Muslims into society, and 
he recognizes the need to better organize the growing number 
of untrained, self-appointed imams here.  Hence, the initial 
appeal of the reported Saudi proposal.   We believe the MoI 
now has a better idea of the possible downsides.  End 
Comment. 
SPOGLI