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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000429
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2024 TAGS: EFIN IR PARM NO
BAGHDAD 00000429 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Regional Coordinator Lucy Tamlyn for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

This is an Erbil Regional Reconstruction Team (RRT) cable.

¶1. (C) Summary: A number of Muslim leaders in the Kurdistan region took to the pulpit in December/January to denounce Israeli actions in the Gaza strip and call for the destruction of the Israeli state and death to Jews. In response, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) banned these Imams from preaching (while continuing to pay their salaries.) Kurds generally accept the government,s right to curb extremist rhetoric. Nonetheless, government interference in religious messages can sometimes cause resentment. KRG leadership has asked for U.S. support in promoting a tolerant, peaceful Islam, particularly through exchanges (U.S. Muslim visitors to the Kurdistan Region and vice-versa). End Summary.

¶2. (SBU) For a four-week period after the Israeli actions against Gaza commenced, certain religious leaders in the Kurdistan Region used their Friday sermons to exhort their congregations to acts of violence against Jews, Israel and the supporters of Israel. Some examples: On December 5 an Imam prayed for the Palestinian people and asked God to rain his anger at the Jewish people and destroy them. On December 5, at another mosque, the congregation was prompted to pray that God would destroy Israel and kill all the Jewish people. On January 16 an Imam told his followers &we should pray that God will destroy all the Jewish people.8 During his prayer, he asked God to kill the Jews one by one until none of them was left alive. He also prayed that God would &kill those who support the country of Israel8 as well.
¶3. (C) RRT Team Leader (TL) discussed the mosque messages with Minister of the Interior Karim Sinjari on January 21, Prime Minister Barzani on January 25 and the Minister of the Endowment (Religious Affairs) Mohammad Ahmad Saeed Shakaly on January 28. All three were aware of the issue, concerned by it and readily listed the action that the Government was taking to stop the messages. Interior Minister Sinjari stated that he had employees at every mosque listening to the sermon and making a report. He also noted that ) while he had permitted a meeting to denounce the situation in Gaza organized by the Kurdistan Islamic Group (KIG), he had not allowed that meeting to turn into a public demonstration.

¶4. XXXXXXXXXXXX

¶5. (SBU) The government also took the step of ensuring that these bans were made public. On January 20, Awene newspaper reported that a preacher in Erbil mosque had been removed because he &exaggerated concerning the Israeli attacks on Gaza and praised the Hamas leader.8 According to the same article, another Imam was removed from his job because he Qarticle, another Imam was removed from his job because he called for a collection to be made for Gaza during the sermon. He was also accused of &terrifying the people of Kurdistan in the name of Islam8 and &encouraging people to stand against the national interest.8 The article pointed out that all of the preachers were receiving a salary from the government; as employees of the Ministry of the Endowment they are obliged to comply with the law. The KRG also disseminated through government media an article written by the Minister of the Endowment on the importance of separating religious affairs from political affairs.

Promoting Tolerance
------------------

¶6. (C) Prime Minister Barzani informed RRT Team Leader that a conference would be organized on February 15 to bring together all of the clerics in order to help them understand that religion and politics do not mix. (Note: The RRT has been invited to this conference and will attend the opening ceremony. End note). During the meeting with the Minister of the Endowment he asked for RRT support in promoting exchanges with Muslim Americans visiting the Kurdistan Region (and vice-versa, particularly with those Imams who were, according to him, getting their &talking points8 from
extremist sources outside of the country) in order to encourage mutual understanding and promote a more tolerant and peaceful Islam.

Our Israeli Brothers and Sisters8
-----------------------------------

¶7. (C) The Gaza crisis also brought to the fore what must be a unique sub-current of solidarity with Israel which exists in the Kurdistan Region, not only as a result of ethnic ties with Kurds in Israel, but also because of the shared experience as victims of genocide. In an opinion piece published in the independent newspaper Roznama, writer Pishitwan Gulpi apologized to his Kurdish Israeli &brothers and sisters8 for the actions of KIG leader Ali Bapir (who had organized the meeting in support of Hamas). Pishitwan accused Ali Bapir of encouraging actions against Israel &which might kill even more innocent people(including some who might be Kurds.8 In his own press release, Ali Bapir claimed that he held the meeting in support of Hamas in part to put to rest rumors that Kurdistan supported Israel.

Comment -------

¶8. (C) Most Kurds accept the right of Kurdish leadership to curb extremist messages and to clamp down on religious leaders whose words and actions are seen to threaten the Region,s security. Nonetheless, congregations can resent the government,s control over religious messages. For example, when a popular preacher in Suleymaniya (who had criticized the new Personal Status Law) was replaced with another Imam (whose Friday message was &pray for rain8), many disgruntled worshippers pointedly walked out of the mosque. Given the strong pro-American sentiment in the Region, visits would be well received and reinforce government efforts to maintain the Kurdistan Region,s tradition of moderate and tolerant Islam. End comment.
BUTENIS