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DE RUEHJI #0436/01 1820730
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P 010730Z JUL 06
FM AMCONSUL JEDDAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9262
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1427
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1505
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 6591
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000436 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP; 
PARIS FOR ZEYA; LONDON FOR TSOU 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2016 
TAGS: KISL PREL SA SCUL
SUBJECT: MOSQUE SERMONS FOR SAUDI ARABIA JUNE 23:  EASTERN 
PROVINCE IMAM WARNS OF 5TH COLUMN AND ENDORSES USE OF 
"KAFIR;" MECCAN ADVISES MUSLIMS TO BE GOD CONSCIOUS; MEDINA 
IMAM COUNSELS PATIENCE 
 
Classified By: Consul General Tatiana Gfoeller, for 
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
FROM THE EASTERN PROVINCE:  IMAM RAILS AGAINST TRAITORS 
WITHIN ISLAM 
 
¶1.  (C) On June 23, speaking at the Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal 
mosque in al-Khobar, Imam Mohammad al-Qahtani fulminated 
against a "Fifth Column within Islam."  This is a subject he 
has preached on before.  In his sermon, al-Qahtani attacked 
"secularists and hypocrites" who either wittingly or 
unwittingly, work with Islam's enemies to "redesign and 
tailor-make the Muslim faith to other people's standards." 
He went on to condemn Arab and Muslim states for "giving 
sanctuary to 'so-called' Muslims who claim that they have 
Islam's best interest at heart but act otherwise."  He also 
criticized Muslim governments for "giving in to American and 
Western political and economic pressure." 
 
¶2.  (C) As an example of this submission, he cited American 
pressure in concert with "secularists and hypocrites to 
remove the word "kafir" from Islamic books, including the 
Holy Quran, and to replace it with the word 'others' simply 
to appease America and the Western World."  Then the imam 
demanded of his audience "What else would 'they' ask for 
next?"  Al-Qahtani concluded by voicing his displeasure with 
the activity of this "'Fifth Column,' (who) call themselves 
'reformists' who are determined to reform the Muslim faith to 
fit their version of Islam."  He also censured members of the 
Arab press for describing these people as "reformers," rather 
than the traitors they were.  He concluded his injunction 
with the promise that "eternal hell and suffering would be 
the fate of all those who engaged in attempts to tamper with 
the faith."  COMMENT:  Al-Qahtani's assertion that any and 
all reform is not only hypocrisy but betrayal of the faith to 
the West would seem to preclude any prospect for a reasonable 
dialogue on reform.  END COMMENT. 
 
FROM MECCA:  BY RECITING SURAH, MUSLIMS ACKNOWLEDGE ALLAH 
 
¶3.  (U) In the Friday sermon at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, 
Sheikh Saleh al-Talib spoke about the importance of the Surah 
al-Fatiha which Muslims incorporate into every obligatory or 
optional prayer.  The imam stated that by reciting this surah 
(chapter of the Quran), the worshipper is telling God "You 
(Alone) we worship and You (Alone) we ask for help."  By this 
avowal, the worshipper declares his submission to God. 
 
JEWS ANGERED GOD; CHRISTIANS WENT ASTRAY 
 
¶4.  (U) An account of this sermon in the English-language 
"Saudi Gazette" reports that the imam concluded with the 
observation that when the worshipper recites this surah "he 
is asking God to guide him in "the Way of those on whom You 
have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who earned 
Your anger (such as the Jews), nor those who went astray 
(such as the Christians.)"  COMMENT:  It is not clear if the 
parenthetical statements reflect the words of the imam or the 
prejudices of the reporter.  END COMMENT. 
 
FROM MEDINA:  IMAM DESCRIBES THE VIRTUES OF PATIENCE 
 
¶5.  (U) Shaykh Ali Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Hudhaifi preached on 
the virtues of patience to a congregation at the Prophet's 
Mosque in Medina (Note:  The FBIS report names the preacher 
as Shaykh Husayn Ibn Abd al-Aziz Al-Shaykh.  End note.).  The 
imam described patience as the discipline that allows a 
person to do what "Allah has ordained and keep from doing 
what He has forbidden."  He then identifies three kinds of 
patience. 
 
¶6.  (U) The greatest is the patience "to restrain oneself 
from sins, vice and all that Allah has forbidden."  The imam 
observed that few have the patience to eschew that which 
Allah has forbidden.  Consequently these people cannot be 
considered among the patient people ("Al-Sabireen") or attain 
the status of patient Mujahideen ("Al-Mujahideen 
al-Sabireen"), because it is great patience, piety, and fear 
of the Almighty, that restrains a person from following the 
dictates of his desires.  Those who lack this form of 
 
JEDDAH 00000436  002 OF 002 
 
 
patience will "be lured away by many worldly matters.  He 
will be prone to commit sins as his will and determination 
will weaken considerably....  These people will face 
humiliation or imprisonment in this world and in the 
Hereafter the hellfire will be his abode." 
 
¶7.  (U) The second form of patience, the imam describes is 
"to be patient in obeying Allah and doing what he has 
ordained."  Finally, the third form of patience is 
"forbearance in the face of tribulations and catastrophes. 
This kind of patience is not commendable unless a person 
believes that this tribulation or catastrophe is ordained by 
Allah." 
Gfoeller