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FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1442
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 1434
RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN PRIORITY 0011

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 005860 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR RICK WATERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KISL EG
SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN REACTIONS TO PAPAL COMMENTS 
 
 
CAIRO 00005860  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: A loud chorus of Egyptian political and 
religious leaders has publicly criticized Pope Benedict XVI's 
September 12 comments regarding Islam.  The Pope's September 
17 statement that he is "deeply sorry" about the reaction to 
his comments has been met with varying reactions in Egypt, 
with some al Azhar preachers rejecting the Pope's apology, 
but the Grand Shaykh of al Azhar stating that he will not 
comment on the Pope's apology until he has read the entire 
statement.  Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mahdi Akef 
reportedly has said that the Pope's apologetic statement was 
"sufficient," but some MB MP's are agitating for 
parliamentary committee meetings to further discuss the 
issue.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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MUSLIM AND CHRISTIAN LEADERS ARE CRITICAL 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) According to press reports, Grand Shaykh of al Azhar 
Mohamed Sayyed Tantawi issued a September 15 statement 
"denouncing" the comments "attributed to Pope Benedict XVI, 
noting that they reflect "egregious ignorance of Islam ... 
the statements, which enraged 1.8 billion (sic) Muslims 
around the world, do not serve efforts to sustain dialogue 
among religions, civilizations and cultures."  Following the 
Pope's reported September 17 statement noting that he is 
"deeply sorry" about the reaction in some countries to his 
comments, and that his quotation of 14th century Byzantine 
emperor Manuel II Palaeologus does not reflect his personal 
views, Grand Shaykh Tantawi issued a press statement that he 
would not comment on the Pope's apology until after carefully 
reading his comments in full.  However, according to 
September 18 press reports, several al Azhar preachers have 
declared a rejection of the Pope's apology. 
 
¶3. (SBU) At a September 17 press conference, Coptic Pope 
Shenouda III said that "the teachings of Jesus Christ are 
against insulting others," and stressed that Pope Benedict's 
"error" "would not undermine the distinguished ties between 
Islam and Christianity that date back more than 14 
centuries."  Shenouda called on Egyptians to stand united 
against "foreign schemes to sow the seeds of discord between 
Muslims and Christians."  Coptic Church spokesman Bishop 
Murcos told Al-Wafd daily newspaper on September 16 that, 
"the Church categorically rejects the comments of the Vatican 
pope.  We must respect the Muslim faithful and their prophet 
as we respect the followers of Jesus Christ and it is 
unacceptable to offend their religious beliefs."  The deputy 
patriarch of Egypt's Catholics, Father Yohana Qalta, in 
comments to the IslamOnline website on September 16 
attributed Pope Benedict's comments to his poor knowledge of 
Islam and Muslims, warning that the "surprising remarks" 
could play into the hands of extremists.  Qalta said, "The 
pontiff's words have surprised the Catholics in Egypt and the 
whole East." 
 
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GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS DENOUNCE POPE'S STATEMENTS 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶4. (SBU) MFA spokesman Ala al-Hadidi on September 15 quoted 
Egyptian FM Ahmed Aboul Gheit as expressing fear that the 
Pope's statements might instigate calls for a clash between 
cultures and weaken efforts to bring "the West and East 
closer."  Aboul Gheit called for "urgent clarifications" of 
the comments.  In a September 15 statement, Safwat al Sherif, 
speaker of the Egyptian Shura Council (upper parliamentary 
house) expressed, " complete resentment at (the Pope's) 
statements, which ... offended Islam and the honorable 
Prophet, and contradicted the respect of the values of 
tolerance promoted by the various heavenly religions and the 
values of dialogue between civilizations."   The Shura 
Council called on the Pope to "clarify the truth about what 
was attributed to him and set matters right by declaring the 
truth about these statements in order to put an end to the 
wide resentment which dominated the Egyptian, Arab, and 
Islamic street over these statements."  According to press 
reports, Speaker of the People's Assembly Fathi Surour issued 
a statement on September 15 asserting that "the latest attack 
on Islam is a continuation of anti-Islamic campaigns ... this 
recalls the Catholic Church's antagonistic attitude towards 
the Islamic faith since the 8th century ...."     Dr. Ahmed 
Omar Hashem, chair of Parliament's Religious Affair's 
Committee, also issued a statement calling on the Pope to 
apologize and to vow not to repeat "such an act."  Following 
 
CAIRO 00005860  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
the Pope's September 17 apology, Hashem told reporters that 
his committee would convene on September 18 to discuss a 
"reply." 
 
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MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD REACTION 
--------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Muslim Brotherhood (MB) Supreme Guide Mohamed Mahdi 
Akef "expressed his anger" in a September 15 statement 
published on the MB's website and widely reported in the 
Egyptian press.  Akef called on the Pope to apologize for his 
statements and to begin an "in-depth and fair" study of 
Islam.  In subsequent September 18 press reports, Akef is 
quoted as stating that the Pope's September 17 apologetic 
statement is "sufficient."  However, deputy chairman of the 
MB parliamentary bloc, Husayn Muhamed Ibrahim, on September 
17 called for a joint emergency meeting of the parliamentary 
Religious Affairs and Foreign Relations Committees, to 
discuss "the ramifications of the grave offense of the Pope 
of Rome against Islam ... it has become well known that, 
although he regretted his statements, the pronouncements made 
by the Pope reveal an acute fanaticism and extreme ignorance 
not only of Islam, the Prophet, and history of Islam, but 
also of the history of mankind, which has recognized the role 
of Islamic civilization in helping Europe exit from the Dark 
Ages ...."  Other MB parliamentarians have reportedly called 
for a "massive" September 22 conference at al Azhar to 
discuss ways of confronting "the worldwide anti-Islamic 
campaign," and called for cutting off ties with the Vatican 
until the Pope has retracted his statement.  Others have 
allegedly criticized the Grand Shaykh of al Azhar for his 
"feeble position" on the issue. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶6. (SBU) While mass protests have not materialized as some 
had predicted, emotions surrounding the Pope's comments are 
nonetheless running high, among both religious and secular 
leaders.  With memories of the Danish cartoon controversy and 
Lebanon crisis clearly in mind, Egyptian politicians and 
religious leaders are anxious to act as vigilant defenders of 
Islam, and to remain ahead of the curve of Egyptian public 
opinion during this latest controversy; so far, they have 
been successful. 
 
RICCIARDONE