VZCZCXRO8083
RR RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHWD #0106/01 1061614
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 151614Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9848
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0119
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0199

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 WINDHOEK 000106 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/S, NEA, INR, INR/B 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:4/12/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PINR KDEM WA
SUBJECT: (C) IMAM SHAFI SHUNS MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AND IRANIAN MOSQUE 
 
Classified by Ambassador Dennise Mathieu, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (C) Namibia's most senior Imam and head of the Windhoek Islamic 
Center, Kenyan-born Sheikh Shafi Aziz, told PolOff recently that 
representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood visited his offices in 2006 
and 2007 seeking Shafi's support to obtain work permits and open a 
mosque in Namibia.  Shafi politely showed them the door and suggested 
they not return.  Shafi also criticized the head of the 
Iranian-funded Quba Mosque for trying to politicize religion. 
Separately, he shared insights into the funding of his mosque, the 
Windhoek Islamic Center.  End summary. 
 
Muslim Brotherhood Came Calling 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) Imam of the Windhoek Islamic Center, Sheikh Shafi Aziz, told 
PolOff recently that a couple of representatives from the Muslim 
Brotherhood visited Shafi's office in 2006 and again in 2007 (exact 
dates not given) to seek Shafi's support in obtaining work permits. 
The Brotherhood representatives were interested in opening a mosque 
in Namibia and bringing an imam from Egypt.  With a tone of disdain, 
Shafi recounted how he refused to write support letters for the duo, 
politely telling them that "we can't vouch for people we don't know." 
 Shafi said he was concerned that the Brotherhood would undertake 
recruiting or unwanted proselytizing for causes that had little to do 
with what Shafi views as the core of religion - spirituality.  He 
said he had not seen any Muslim Brotherhood representatives since. 
 
Quba Mosque: Mixing Politics and Religion? 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶3.  (C) In previous meetings, Shafi has avoided criticizing the other 
Muslim institutions in Namibia.  However, when discussing his 
concerns about mixing politics and religion, Shafi fingered the 
Iranian-funded Quba Mosque (also in Windhoek) as a culprit.  He said 
the Quba Mosque's previous and current administrators, neither of 
whom had extensive religious training, were more interested in 
political propaganda than religion.  In Shafi's view, Namibia's 
Muslim community, largely comprised of converts, is too unfamiliar 
with Islam and its strictures to start confusing the religious 
teachings with political discussions about Iraq the U.S. or the 
Middle East.  He pointedly stated that he and his colleagues did not 
associate with the Quba Mosque.  Its political interests made it "an 
extension of the Iranian Embassy (in Pretoria)."  Shafi acknowledged 
that part of this divergence with the Quba Mosque was the Sunni-Shi'a 
divide.  Shafi did not share any similar concerns about the 13 
mosques in the country, most of which the Windhoek Islamic Center 
shares some affiliation. 
 
Funding for the Windhoek Islamic Center 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C) Possibly as a counterpoint to the aforementioned discussion, 
Shafi explained the source of funding for his mosque, the Windhoek 
Islamic Center (WIC).  Local businessman, former Ugandan Aziz Kebabi 
(phonetic) was the prime donor for the purchase of the Center, said 
Shafi.  He explained that Kebabi contributed and pooled support from 
other Muslims in South Africa and locally.  Mosque-goers provide the 
funding for daily costs, which amount to US$500 for utilities and 
between US$1,000-1,200 in salaries per month.  Although the Saudi 
Government did not provide start-up costs for the WIC, it recently 
began providing Ugandan-born Sheikh Ali, the other imam at the WIC, a 
stipend of approximately $500 per month.  It was less clear exactly 
where Shafi's salary came from, although it could be a variety of 
sources in addition to local contributions.  For instance, Shafi went 
on a Saudi Government funded tour to Saudi Arabia in 2007, where he 
met the King and other leaders.  He also travels annually to Kenya, 
sometimes stopping to preach in Zambia on the way. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶5.  (C) Shafi is an open-minded moderate who uses every opportunity 
to speak against intolerance, terrorism, and the misuse of religion 
for political ends.  His explicit criticism of political pandering by 
the Iranian-run Quba Mosque and his rejection of Muslim Brotherhood 
overtures are positive signs that the most active leaders of 
Namibia's small Muslim community are doing their best to keep their 
flock on the right path.  Given the small size of Namibia's Muslim 
community, Shafi would know if extremist elements had taken root.  We 
will continue to develop our relationship with Shafi and encourage 
him to share any future concerns he may have about undesirable 
activities in Namibia. End comment. 
 
 
WINDHOEK 00000106  002 OF 002 
 
 
Bio note 
-------- 
 
¶6.  (C) Imam Shafi was born on August 16, 1974 in Homa Bay Kenya.  He 
obtained his high school diploma at the Al-Fatah Islamic Institute in 
Wajir, Kenya in 1998, followed by a BA in Islamic Studies at the 
Islamic Foundation Al-Jamiah Al-Islmaiiyyah College of Islamic 
Studies in Mombasa, Kenya in 2006 (partly via correspondence).  He 
simultaneously obtained Single Subject Diplomas in Marketing, 
International Business, and Public Relations through the Institute of 
Commercial Management in the UK (distance learning) in 2005. He came 
to Namibia in 2001 and worked for three years as the Imam of the 
Majsid Nur (Nur Mosque) in Oshakati, Namibia.  He then came to 
Windhoek to lead the Windhoek Islamic Center.  He has two boys and is 
expecting a third in April 2008.  He had a daughter who died after 
birth.  His deceased father was in imam in Kenya.  Shafi very 
factually and without criticism told PolOff that he believes his 
father cooperated with Kenyan intelligence services, informing them 
about concerns he had about members of the Muslim community there. 
Shafi fluently speaks English, Luo, Swahili, and Arabic. 
 
MATHIEU