This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 DUBLIN 001161 
 
SIPDIS 
 
R 
P 
EUR/UBI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2014 
TAGS: PREL KDEM KPAO EAID PHUM KMPI
SUBJECT: IRELAND: COMBATING EXTREMISM 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 159129 
     ¶B. DUBLIN 1087 
 
Classified By: DCM JON BENTON, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B), (D) 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary.  Overall, Islamic extremism is not perceived 
to be a great problem in Ireland, even as the population 
becomes more diverse.  Ireland is grappling with immigration 
for the first time in history, and its new found wealth is 
attracting growing numbers of migrants.  Generally speaking, 
immigrants receive a warm welcome from the Irish.  This is 
reflected in the level of their integration into Irish 
communities and the noticeable lack of hate speech.  The GOI 
has developed initiatives to improve communication and access 
to minority communities, such as hiring immigrant police 
officers and developing an interculturalism committee to 
monitor hate crimes and build dialogue with the Muslim 
community.  However, there are Muslim extremists in Ireland, 
and according to the GOI, they are under surveillance.  In 
the fall of 2004 post developed a Muslim outreach program. 
This program was designed to facilitate dialogue with the 
Muslim community in Ireland, provide emboffs with insight 
into prevalent Muslim perceptions of USG policy and provide 
the means of relaying USG positions to interested community 
leaders.  End Summary. 
 
Muslim Outreach 
--------------- 
 
¶2. (S) Per ref A questions on programs designed to combat 
extremism, in the fall of 2004, post assigned an emboff to 
spearhead a new Muslim Outreach program.  This outreach is 
long term.  This project coordinates efforts and strategic 
goals of a number of embassy sections and agencies.  The 
intended audience for this project includes leaders among the 
approximately 25,000 Muslims in the Republic of Ireland.  The 
program has proven successful in helping post to understand 
the concerns of the Muslim community in Ireland and identify 
key Muslim leaders.  The program has also seen success in 
relaying USG policies to interested community leaders, and 
ensuring access to members of the Shi'a Muslim community. 
However, post has met with obstacles in reaching out to the 
Sunni Muslims, stemming mainly from their opposition to USG 
policy in Iraq and Israel.  This group regards emboffs' 
actions with suspicion and meetings and engagement in 
activities are more difficult to arrange. 
 
¶3.  (S) The following answers are keyed to ref A. questions: 
 
How post is monitoring and/or countering incitement and hate 
speech occurring within your host country and region. 
 
--Embassy personnel monitor Irish media and are regularly out 
in the community.  Hate speech as such is not a major problem 
here either towards the U. S. or between immigrants and the 
native-born Irish.  Ireland is a country with a population of 
only 4 million people.  Immigration is a new phenomenon here, 
and new immigrants are reluctant to jeopardize the Irish 
hospitality they receive by uttering hate speech.  The Irish 
public and press speak out often against USG policies in 
Iraq, the environment and on development issues, but rarely 
are these or other disagreements vocalized by migrant or 
minority communities.  Post records only one public message 
on extremism (ref B), which was issued by a local Imam in 
support of arresting extremists. 
 
What post is doing, or plans to do, to work with local 
communities to spread a message of tolerance and non-violence. 
 
--The Ambassador regularly reaches out to the public in 
speeches and letters to editors relaying the importance of 
tolerance and diversity in a society.  Emboffs engage in a 
Muslim outreach program aimed at building dialogue with 
Muslim community leaders.  Such engagement includes attending 
an 'Islam in Ireland' conference at a local mosque, inviting 
key Muslim leaders to relevant embassy functions and meeting 
with Muslims personally.  Post's signature event in Muslim 
outreach in FY-05 was the Thanksgiving reception hosted by 
the Ambassador, to which faith-based groups and NGOs were 
invited along with some political party representatives.  The 
event provided the Mission with a means to bring together a 
number of faith communities with whom we had not been in 
contact before and who rarely if ever before met each other. 
Guests included Muslims, Jews, Copts, Catholics, Protestants, 
Romanian and Greek Orthodox, as well as GOI and NGO officials 
who regularly work with migrant and/or religious communities. 
 By focusing the event on American Thanksgiving, and timing 
the reception to coincide with the Ramadan Iftar, we were 
able to include several Muslim representatives, some of whom 
have proven to be strong contacts for the Embassy.  The event 
received favorable prime-time news coverage and will be 
repeated in FY-06.  Post also received approval on its 
nominee for the International Visitor Leadership Program, "A 
Program for Young Muslim Leaders on U.S. Political, Social 
and Educational Issues." 
 
Identify individuals and groups who embody and promote 
tolerance and have broad influence among Muslim youth. 
 
--A key contact and voice of moderation is the Imam of the 
Shi'a Mosque, Dr. Ali A. A. Al-Saleh.  Dr. Al-Saleh, a local 
surgeon, with Iraqi/Irish dual citizenship, previously spent 
time in Eastern Saudi Arabia helping to promote democracy 
among the minority Shi'as. 
 
--Another prominent, moderate spokesperson for Islam is 
Khalid Ibrahim, an Iraqi/Irish national of Shi'a 
Fayli-Kurdish origin.  Ibrahim is an activist with the One 
World Society and Frontline Defenders NGOs.  He occasionally 
speaks out against extremism and for USG policy in Iraq in 
radio interviews. 
 
--The most prominent Muslim in Ireland is Sheikh Hussein 
Halawa of the Islamic Cultural Center of Ireland (ICCI) 
(Sunni mosque).  Halawa, Egyptian/Irish dual citizen, 
publicly condemns terrorism and all violence and is the 
symbol of Islam here in Ireland.  ICCI also maintains the 
largest Muslim school in the country, therefore increasing 
his influence among Muslim youth.  While his public message 
on extremism is very welcome, post still reserves suspicions 
on what Halawa says in private (ref B), and interprets his 
public message as perhaps more designed to allay Irish 
suspicions of extremist activities than to combat extremism. 
 
--Ali Saleem (Egyptian-Irish Sunni Muslim) is Halawa's 
secretary and personal translator at ICCI.  Saleem also 
 
SIPDIS 
publicly denounces terrorism and violence and is a key 
contact for post, as well as the GOI.  In July, he wrote 
articles on the history of the Muslim community and 
integration into Irish society for Spectrum, a journal 
published by the National Consultative Committee on Racism 
and Interculturalism and funded by the Irish Department of 
Justice, Equality and Law Reform.  Saleem works full-time in 
the administrative offices at ICCI, planning events, 
conferences, and outings for the center's youth. 
 
What, if anything, the above individuals and groups are doing 
through the Internet and other mediums to counter extremist 
activity and propaganda. 
 
--Both Ibrahim and Saleem participate in media interviews. 
Though they differ in backgrounds and views towards USG 
policies, both are public proponents of tolerance and 
peaceful dialogue. 
 
Ireland's government's efforts to: 
 
Create spaces for open intellectual debate through media and 
the internet. 
 
--Ireland is an open society, with no need for government 
involvement in creating spaces for intellectual debate. 
Though not part of the GOI agenda, Halawa, the Chief Rabbi of 
Ireland and prominent Christian leaders gather occasionally 
to form the Three Faith Forum.  This group meets to discuss 
the needs and issues of the three main religions in Ireland. 
 
Identify individuals or groups engaged in incitement of 
violence. 
 
--In July, after the 7/7 London bombings, the Prime Minister 
announced that up to 30 Al-Qaeda sympathizers are under 
surveillance in Ireland.  These individuals are suspected of 
providing financial and logistical support to Al-Qaeda and 
Islamic terrorists abroad.  The Minister of Defense announced 
that intelligence officers from the Army and Special Branch 
of the police have monitored suspected terrorist sympathizers 
since the late 1990s.  The Embassy, at all levels, and across 
agencies, maintains a close dialogue and liaison with police 
and Justice Ministry officials on cases of concern. 
 
Amplify voices of moderation, tolerance, and freedom. 
 
--Due to Halawa's status as the chief Muslim in Ireland, he 
is seen by GOI officials as representative of Islam in 
Ireland.  He has a high profile in Ireland and receives 
invitations to represent Islam at events and in public 
dialogue, such as the 2004 Irish Presidential Inauguration, 
and in past parliamentary discussions on moral issues. 
 
Identify, promote, and work with non-governmental partners 
and the press who advocate religious tolerance and 
moderation. 
 
--The GOI, through the Department of Justice, Equality and 
Law Reform, formed the National Consultative Committee on 
Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI).  The purpose of this 
group is to partner government and NGO organizations to 
celebrate cultural diversity and at the same time, encourage 
integration of minorities into society.  In particular, the 
NCCRI monitors racist incidents and attacks on religious 
groups. 
 
In addition to these efforts, the GOI has introduced the 
following: 
 
--The GOI recently announced a new initiative that waives the 
requirement for police officers to speak Irish.  This was 
done in order to hire more minority police officers in order 
to interact more efficiently with the new immigrant 
communities.  The intended result of this initiative is to 
provide police with a better understanding of minorities 
taking up residence in Ireland.  By using police officers 
with similar ethnicities and religious beliefs, police hope 
to identify extremists and counter their ideology. 
 
--Another GOI initiative to identify and sanction suspected 
terrorists is the passing of anti-terrorism legislation.  On 
March 9, President Mary McAleese signed the Criminal Justice 
(Terrorism Offenses) Bill 2002 into law.  This legislation 
significantly strengthened the government's ability to seize 
assets and prosecute those suspected of supporting terrorism. 
 However, no charges have been made against any of the 
suspected extremists living in Ireland since this bill became 
law. 
KENNY