VZCZCXYZ0010
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMK #1908/01 3130559
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 090559Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5953
INFO RHBVAKS/COMUSNAVCENT  PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001908 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL OEXC OIIP PTER KISL BA OFFICIALS
BILAT 
SUBJECT: U/S HUGHES, ISLAMIC AFFAIRS MINISTRY DISCUSS 
COOPERATION ON SPREADING RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
. 
 
¶1.  (U) This is an action request; please see para 10. 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶2.  (C) In a discussion with senior Ministry of Islamic 
Affairs officials November 1, U/S Hughes sought to elicit 
ideas for continued cooperation to broaden the reach of the 
message of religious tolerance and to ensure that terrorists 
do not become the voice that represents religion in the 
region.  Minister Shaikh Abdulla Bin Khalid Al Khalifa warmly 
welcomed U/S Hughes, praising the stable relationship between 
the U.S. and Bahrain, but noted the damage sustained by the 
U.S.'s reputation in the region due to the war in Iraq and 
the lack of progress toward peace between Israel and the 
Palestinians.  Undersecretary Dr. Fareed Muftah encouraged 
the continuation of exchange visits between Bahrain and the 
U.S.  He suggested that a March 2007 training for Bahraini 
imams and an October 2007 conference on dealing with 
terrorism-related issues were two venues through which the 
message of moderation can reach clerics, and then through 
them to students and the public at large.  Dr. Muftah also 
suggested the publication of a booklet documenting the 
experiences of Bahraini clerics who have participated on 
exchange visits so that the wider public can benefit from 
their experiences.  Two exchange visit participants, both 
Shari'a court judges, discussed their experiences in the 
United States with U/S Hughes.  End summary. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Enhanced U.S./Bahrain Collaboration 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) During a meeting with Minister of Islamic Affairs 
Shaikh Abdulla Bin Khalid Al Khalifa, Undersecretary Dr. 
Fareed Muftah, and five senior clerics, two of whom are 
Shari'a court judges (one Shi'a and one Sunni) who 
participated in a recent exchange visitor program in the 
U.S., U/S Hughes sought suggestions on ways to encourage 
further cooperation between Bahrain and the U.S. to promote 
mutual religious understanding and tolerance.  In welcoming 
U/S Hughes, Shaikh Abdulla called attention to the long, 
stable relationship between the U.S. and Bahrain, saying that 
the relationship remains strong, but noted that the 
reputation of the U.S. in the region has suffered following 
the war in Iraq and the lack of concrete progress between the 
Palestinians and Israelis.  Dr. Muftah noted the 
effectiveness of exchange visits to share experiences with 
one another and encouraged the continuation of such programs. 
 
¶4.  (C) Responding to a further probe by U/S Hughes on how 
both sides can broaden the reach of the message of moderation 
and tolerance, Dr. Muftah said that Bahrain had tentatively 
scheduled a conference for October 2007 that will focus on 
security issues and how to use religious means to deal with 
terrorism-related issues.  He also highlighted a March 2007 
training course for Bahraini imams that will include some 
trainers from outside Bahrain, and extended an invitation to 
U/S Hughes to nominate a trainer/teacher from the U.S. to 
participate in the course.  Dr. Muftah said that during a 
similar course in early 2006, trainers and participants 
discussed terrorism, civilization, and different Muslim sects 
living together in peace and cooperation.  U/S Hughes 
applauded the King's role in encouraging inter-sectarian 
cooperation and the Ministry's role in educating citizens. 
 
¶5.  (C) When asked about other means of possible 
collaboration to ensure that terrorists do not represent 
religion in the region, Dr. Muftah suggested that the 
Ministry assemble a booklet of the experiences of those imams 
who visited the U.S. so that the public will be able to 
benefit from these visits.  He also explained that scholars 
who participate in Ministry-sponsored clerical training visit 
schools and prisons, among other places, to spread the word 
of moderation.  In response to a question about the use of 
the Internet in this public awareness effort, Dr. Muftah 
stated that the Ministry maintains an updated web site and 
has a "fatwa hotline" to answer questions from the public 
about religious fatwas.  Regarding how to get moderate voices 
on to the satellite TV stations, Dr. Muftah said that Shaikh 
Hameed Al Mubarak and Shaikh Adnan Al Qattan, the Shi'a and 
Sunni court judges, respectively, who went on an exchange 
visit to the U.S., appear regularly on television and radio 
during special religious occasions. 
 
--------------- 
 
Perceived Needs 
--------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) Shaikh Hameed suggested that a particular need was to 
train clerics how to use common, simple language to 
communicate the moderate message effectively to popular 
culture.  He added that the government needs to support and 
encourage journalists to write columns on tolerance and 
moderation, and that television and radio stations should 
allow more air time for moderate speakers.  He also suggested 
that universities and schools provide more opportunities for 
moderate clerics to give lectures for students. 
 
------------------------ 
Increase Exchange Visits 
------------------------ 
 
¶7.  (C) Dr. Muftah again mentioned exchange visitors to 
Bahrain as a way to reach out to the public.  He said that 
the judges who participated benefited by meeting Americans 
from various segments of society and returned with positive 
attitudes toward the U.S.  He commented on the effectiveness 
of press coverage of the recent visit to Bahrain by 
Syrian-American Imam Mohamed Arafat to reach ordinary 
Bahrainis with the message of tolerance, moderation and 
cooperation.  Dr. Muftah said that the Ministry had received 
a letter from the Civilization Exchange and Cooperation 
Foundation, Imam Arafat's organization, presenting ideas for 
further contact and collaboration. 
 
¶8.  (C) Shaikh Hameed said that in the U.S. he had enjoyed 
extensive discussions with both official and non-official 
Americans and was surprised how well he and his traveling 
companions were received as Arabs even after "events that 
hurt the relationship between the U.S. and the Arab world." 
He found the level of freedom of thought, expression, and 
worship surprising and liberating as he talked with 
individual Americans who discussed diverse religious ideas 
freely without any fear. 
 
¶9.  (C) Shaikh Adnan also called attention to the benefits of 
his visits to both churches and mosques in the U.S.  He was 
struck by the depth of adherence to the fundamental 
principles of religious freedom and freedom of thought that 
are part of life in the U.S.  Seeking to draw a parallel in 
Bahrain, he referred to the King's role in encouraging 
religious cooperation and tolerance in Bahrain, as seen in 
the peaceful coexistence not only between the Sunni and 
Shi'a, but also between Muslims, Christians and Jews in 
Bahrain. 
 
¶10.  (U) Action Request:  Embassy Public Affairs Section will 
be in touch with IIP to follow up on the possibility of an 
American expert participating in the March 2007 training 
program for Bahraini imams per Dr. Muftah's proposal in para 
¶4. 
 
¶11.  (U) U/S Hughes cleared this cable. 
 
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Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website: 
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MONROE