VZCZCXYZ0035
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #3398 3381532
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 041532Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7627
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS CAIRO 003398 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
NSC STAFF FOR PASCUAL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KIRF PHUM PGOV PREL EG
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RAISES RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CASES WITH FM 
ABOUL GHEIT 
 
REF: A. CAIRO 3351 
 
     ¶B. CAIRO 3256 
     ¶C. CAIRO 3334 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Among the issues the Ambassador raised in a December 
3 meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit 
(see septel) were two recent religious freedom cases: the 
November 10 arrest of three members of the Middle East 
Christians Association (MECA) (refs A and B); and the fraud 
conviction of Shadia Nagui Ibrahim (ref C).  Aboul Gheit said 
he was not familiar with either case, but his Chief of 
Cabinet, Deputy Foreign Minister Wafaa Bassim, who also 
attended the meeting, was.  On the MECA case, she said that 
because the case is in the hands of the judiciary, the GoE 
could not intervene. On the Shadia Ibrahim case, Bassim said 
that she understood the case to be about fraud, not religious 
identity or discrimination.  Aboul Gheit asked that we work 
with his staff to follow-up. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Following the Ambassador's meeting with Aboul Gheit, 
we contacted the MFA's Deputy Assistant Minister for Human 
Rights Wael Aboulmaged. He told us that after the 
Ambassador's meeting with the Foreign Minister, he received 
two telephone calls about the cases from the Foreign 
Minister's office. He said he was making all appropriate 
inquiries but had not yet received the information he had 
requested.  We will continue to follow-up and report 
developments in both cases. 
RICCIARDONE