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PP RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV
DE RUEHMD #0799/01 2031604
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 211604Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5119
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA 3505
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0446

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 06 MADRID 000799 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE, NEA/ARP, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/21/2018 
TAGS: KISL PHUM PREL UNFPA CIA SA SP
SUBJECT: WORLD MUSLIM LEAGUE INTER-FAITH CONFERENCE HELD IN 
MADRID JULY 16-18 
 
REF: A. (A) STATE 72693 
     ¶B. (B) RIYADH 1090 
 
MADRID 00000799  001.2 OF 006 
 
 
Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C)  SUMMARY.  The World Muslim League, under the 
patronage of Saudi King Abdullah, held its Inter-faith 
Conference in Madrid July 16-18.  King Juan Carlos hosted the 
inaugural ceremonies at the Pardo Palace.  Although the guest 
list could not be described as all-inclusive, there was a 
range of participation including Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu and 
Shinto.  While the participant roster did not list any 
Israeli attendees and news reports in advance of conference 
questioned whether or not Israelis would be invited, at least 
one guest who self-identified as Israeli received an 
invitation.  The original conference agenda did not include 
any women as presenters or panelists and in response to 
comments from the participants, organizers added a woman to 
the final panel. U.S. participants who shared their 
impressions expressed satisfaction with the event as a small 
step in the right direction on the part of the World Muslim 
League. Participants reportedly refrained from political 
commentary, although several Muslim speakers did make 
personal statements calling for action to ensure that 
religion could not be defamed.  The World Muslim League's 
Madrid Declaration was not circulated for review by 
participants during the conference, nor was the declaration 
discussed or approved by the participants.   It was read 
during the closing session and only appeared in the press 
room after the conference's conclusion.  The Declaration 
calls for working groups to be formed and more meetings to be 
held, without any specific timetable.  It does call for a 
special UN session on dialogue as soon as possible.  The 
conference declaration says that the Conference on Dialogue 
should send a delegation to the UN session on dialogue with 
membership selected by the World Muslim League.  The text of 
the World Muslim League's Madrid Declaration follows in 
paragraph 10.  More details about the conference are 
available at the website www.world-dialogue.org.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.   (C)  The World Muslim League, under the patronage of 
Saudi King Abdullah, held its Inter-faith Conference in 
Madrid July 16-18.  Spanish King Juan Carlos acted as a host 
for the event.  Initially, Spanish MFA officials informed the 
Embassy the week of July 7 that the only Spanish government 
involvement would be through the King's protocol staff 
planning a small lunch at the Pardo Palace (Blair 
House-equivalent) to honor King Abdullah. The Chief of Staff 
to Deputy FM Lossada confirmed to Embassy that the conference 
was a "purely Saudi" event.  The Spanish King did extend all 
courtesies to his counterpart and the conference opening 
ceremonies were held at Pardo, attended by King Juan Carlos, 
King Abdullah, and Secretary General of the World Muslim 
League Abdullah in Abdul Mohsin al-Turki, along with guests 
including President Zapatero, FM Moratinos, former British PM 
Tony Blair, Saudi FM Saud al-Faisal, Prince Bandar bin 
Sultan, Cardinal Tauran, Jesse Jackson and others.  DCM 
attended the conference opening and said that King Abdullah 
received a standing ovation after his address focusing on 
brotherhood and the common denominators that unite us all. 
Based on the close personal rapport evident between the 
Spanish and Saudi Kings during the event, Juan Carlos clearly 
recognizes the importance of the Saudi bilateral relationship 
and has forged strong ties with his counterpart.  His 
personal exhibit of tolerance extended to letting the Saudi 
protocol and security details run roughshod over some of the 
attendees.  Given that King Juan Carlos runs his own show, he 
bristled to see some of his guests brusquely handled by the 
Saudi team in the Spanish palace.  The event did not receive 
much local coverage after King Juan Carlos' participation in 
the inauguration, but Spanish public opinion celebrated the 
event as an effort to strengthen peace, dialogue and 
cooperation. The event also tied in with Spain's interest in 
expanding its ties with Saudi Arabia, particularly when Saudi 
oil revenues could help inject some needed cash to Spanish 
construction and energy enterprises.  The conference also fit 
in Spain's plan to expand its diplomatic outreach to the 
Middle East, including its stated intention to hold a major 
Middle East conference during Spain's EU Presidency in 2010. 
 
--------------------- 
CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS 
--------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U)  Participants characterized the conference as 
disorganized and the agenda, speakers and logistics shifted 
 
MADRID 00000799  002.2 OF 006 
 
 
each day, with the Saudi Embassy in Madrid unable to share 
any advance details.  The organizers responded to comments 
during the first two days in which participants noted that 
there were no women speaking on any of the conference panels 
and very few women were invited to attend.  On the last day's 
final panel, the organizers added a Spanish Muslim, Mekia 
Nedjar, to address the audience on role of women in 
inter-faith dialogue.  Ms. Nedjar, who specializes in 
intercultural mediation and translation services told Poloff 
that she was asked to participate only the night before and 
rather than giving a prepared address, as the other speakers, 
simply shared her personal reflections.  Participants said 
they received between one day and two weeks advance notice of 
the event so everyone had scrambled to adjust their schedules 
and respond to the Saudi's invitation.   U.S. participants 
speculated they received their invitations based on previous 
participation in other inter-faith conferences or through 
contacts at the Saudi Embassy in Washington or business 
contacts such as Abdullah Ali Reza. The guest list included 
representatives of a wide variety of religious faiths, 
including Sikh, Hindu, Buddist, and Shinto, but the level of 
representation reflected the hasty organization of the 
proceedings. The participants list did not indicate the 
presence of agnostics or atheists.  A final participants list 
or contact information sheet was not distributed to 
attendees.  NGOs did not play a formal role in the 
conference, although participants were affiliated with NGOs 
in some cases.  Alliance of Civilizations High Representative 
Jorge Sampaio had a schedule conflict and sent a 
representative to read a prepared statement on July 18. 
 
¶4.  (C)  Author Robert Lacey, working on his new book, 
"Inside The Kingdom" told Poloff he received his invitation 
through connections with Saudi businessperson Khalid Ali 
Reza.  Lacey said he had watched extensive Saudi television 
coverage of the event before he departed KSA for Madrid and 
thought that the event was an important milestone for the 
Saudi establishment, especially since he saw at least two 
members of the Saudi Ulema and the head of the Majlis al- 
Shura at the opening ceremony.  Just getting members of the 
Saudi religious establishment out of the Kingdom and exposed 
to other points of view was a step forward in his opinion. 
One U.S. participant described his experience, saying, 
"Saudis have been approaching me at the dinner hour or in the 
hotel elevator and asking to talk since they have never met a 
Jew before."   Another participant said that during the 
receiving line at the inauguration, he introduced himself to 
King Abdullah as a rabbi from Jerusalem, Israel and received 
a warm and gracious welcome.  Additionally, after the 
introduction, the Saudi FM gave specific instructions to a 
staff member for the Saudi news crew to interview the Israeli 
rabbi.  While the participant list did not cite any attendees 
from Israel and news reports in advance of conference 
questioned whether or not Israelis would be invited, at least 
one guest who self-identified as Israeli was formally 
invited. 
 
------------------- 
CONFERENCE PROGRAM 
------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U)  After the inauguration and speeches by King 
Abdullah, King Juan Carlos and Secretary General al-Turki, 
the rest of the conference consisted of a series of panels in 
which selected speakers delivered prepared remarks.  A 
moderator then called on individuals who submitted written 
questions or comments to give brief remarks.  Participants 
from the U.S. and other western countries expressed 
frustration at the rigid structure of the event, hoping that 
a dialogue conference would include focus groups or 
roundtable discussions that allowed more exchange of ideas. 
 
¶6.  (U)  Instead, the conference organizers kept to the rigid 
format and many attendees expressed their view that the most 
productive discussions of the conference took place during 
meals or during quick coffee breaks. Participants reportedly 
refrained from political commentary.  Several Muslim speakers 
did make personal statements calling for action to ensure 
that religion could not be defamed.   Participants felt that 
the most interesting exchange occurred the night of July 17 
when Dr. Ezzedin Mustapha Ibrahim, listed as a cultural 
affairs advisor in Abu Dhabi, delivered a paper on Islamic 
Christian dialogue from the Islamic perspective. 
Participants reported that Dr. Ibrahim deviated from his 
prepared text and commented that it might not be possible to 
have full dialogue between Muslims and Jews because so many 
political issues like Jerusalem hampered the discussion. 
 
MADRID 00000799  003.2 OF 006 
 
 
Reportedly, several audience members refuted Dr. Ibrahim's 
remarks, pointing out their own successful interfaith efforts 
that included Jews and Muslims, including in Muslim 
countries.  Several Jewish representatives had the 
opportunity to present their views in response to Ibrahim's 
remark and more broadly.  Everyone said that the exchanges 
were made in a respectful manner and set a better tone for 
the third day's agenda.  As one attendee commented, "up until 
that point the presentations had been bland to the point of 
meaningless and Thursday night they finally allowed the 
elephant in the room and found it wouldn't squash anything." 
The intervention of Dr. Mustafa Ceric, Mufti of Sarajevo, was 
cited as particularly helpful, as he described for 
participants the interfaith efforts in Bosnia and 
Herzegovina.  Reportedly, he emphasized that hate was 
shameful and that Muslims must understand that Jews have 
rights and the Jewish positions must be recognized and 
understood.  U.S. participants who shared their impressions 
with Poloff expressed satisfaction with the event as a small 
step in the right direction on the part of the World Muslim 
League and said that although some of them had questioned 
whether or not to accept the invitation, it had been an 
important opportunity to open up lines of communication, with 
Muslims in particular, as well as an opportunity to counter 
misinformation and express their point of view. 
 
------------------ 
CONFERENCE AGENDA 
------------------ 
 
¶7.  (U)  There was a session on religious dialogue moderated 
by Dr. Bawa Jain, Secretary General of the Millennium World 
Peace Summit.  Panelists included 
Dialogue in Islam - Dr. Hussin Hamed Hassan - Islamic Bank of 
Dubai 
Dialogue in Christianity - Dr. Najeb Gabriel - Director, 
Egyptian Human Rights Organization 
Dialogue in Judaism - Rabbi Arthur Schneier, Appeal of 
Conscience Foundation 
Dialogue in Oriental Beliefs - Dr. M.M. Verma - President of 
Int. Dialogue Association of India 
 
¶8.  (U)  There were also sessions on: 
Dialogue and its importance to Human Society moderated by Dr. 
Saleh Ibn Abdullah Bin Hameed, President of the Saudi Majlis 
al- Shura; 
Common Human Patrimony in Dialogue moderated by Dr. William 
Vendley, SecGen of Int. Religious Conference for Peace; 
Evaluation and Promotion of Dialogue moderated by Rabbi 
Claudio Epelman, Director of Jewish Congress of Latin 
America, Caribbean, and Argentina; and 
Promoting a Culture of Dialogue and Coexistence moderated by 
Dr. Ahmed Talib al-Ibrahimi, former Algerian Foreign 
Minister. 
The closing session included presentations by the World 
Muslim League and Jean-Luis Tauran, President of the 
Pontifical Council of Inter-religious Dialogue.  Finally, 
World Muslim League Secretary General al-Turki read a 
summation statement, that was later released in the press 
briefing room as "The Madrid Declaration." 
¶9.  (C)  The World Muslim League's Madrid Declaration, 
however, was not circulated for review by participants during 
the conference, nor was the declaration discussed or approved 
by the participants.   It was read during the closing session 
and only appeared in the press room after the conference's 
conclusion.  The declaration is worded ambiguously so that it 
is open to interpretation whether the recommendations  are 
coming from "the conference" organizers or participants.  It 
calls for working groups to be formed and more meetings to be 
held, without any specific timetable.  It does call for a 
special UN session on dialogue as soon as possible.  The 
conference declaration says that the Conference on Dialogue 
should send a delegation to the UN session with membership 
selected by the World Muslim League. 
 
¶10.  (U)  Text of Madrid Conference Declaration follows: 
 
------------------------------- 
TEXT OF MADRID CONFERENCE DECLARATION 
------------------------------- 
 
The Madrid Declaration issued by The World Conference on 
Dialogue Organized by the Muslim World League in Madrid, 
Spain under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy 
Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud 13 - 15 / 7 / 
1429 A. H. Corresponding to 16 -18 /7/ 2008 
 
 
MADRID 00000799  004.2 OF 006 
 
 
Praise be to God, Lord of the Universe, and may the peace and 
blessings of God be upon all His prophets and messengers. In 
response to the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy 
Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz AI-Saud, the Muslim 
World League organized the World Conference on Dialogue in 
Madrid, Spain, during the period 13 to 15/ Rajab / 1429 A. H, 
corresponding to 16 to 18/ July / 2008. 
 
The participants in the conference; followers of the world 
religions and cultures express their profound gratitude for 
the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul 
Aziz AI-Saud for his generous patronage and inauguration of 
the conference and for his speech to the participants, which 
they considered as a major document in the conference. 
 
Furthermore, the participants extended their deep thanks and 
appreciation for His Majesty Juan Carlos the 1st of Spain for 
his comprehensive welcome speech and for H.E. Mr. Jose Luis 
Rodriguez Zapatero, the president of Spain for his 
participation in the opening session and for his efforts in 
the dialogue of civilizations. The participants also thanked 
the Spanish Government for having the Conference in Spain. 
This great country is home to an historical heritage that 
belongs to the followers of different religions and has 
contributed to human civilization. 
 
The participants also recall the objectives of the UN 
Charter, which calls for exerting collective efforts aiming 
at the enhancement of international relations, the creation 
of an exemplary human community and the promotion of dialogue 
as a civilized way fQcooperation. 
 
The participants further remind all people of the Declaration 
of the UN General Assembly in 1994, which called for 
tolerance and the spread of the culture of peace, and also 
ask that they recall the declarations of 1995 as the Year of 
Tolerance and 2001 as the Year of Dialogue Among 
Civilizations. 
 
The participants commend the Appeal of Makkah issued by the 
World Islamic Conference on Dialogue, which was called for by 
the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques and organized by the Muslim 
World League earlier this year (2008). The participants build 
on the agreement among the followers of religions and 
prominent cultures regarding the value of dialogue as the 
best way for mutual understanding and cooperation in human 
relations as well as in peaceful coexistence among nations. 
 
In light of the above, the participants affirm the following 
principles: 
 
¶1.    Unity of humankind in the original creation and the 
equality among human bein irrespective of their colors, 
ethnic backgrounds and cultures. 
 
¶2.    Purity of the nature of humans; as they were created 
liking good and disliking e inclining to justice and avoiding 
injustice. Such pure nature leads humans to show mercy and to 
seek certainty and belief. 
 
¶3.    Diversity of cultures and civilizations among people is 
a sign of God and a call for human advancement and 
prosperity. 
 
¶4.    The heavenly messages aim at realizing the obedience of 
people to thQr Creator and achieving happiness, justice, 
security and peace for humankind. These messages seek to 
enhance ways of understanding and cooperation among people 
despite differences in their origins, colors and languages. 
They also call for spreading virtue through wisdom and 
politeness, and rejecting extremism and terrorism. 
 
5- Respecting heavenly religions, preserving their high 
status, condemning any insult to their symbols, and combating 
the exploitation of religion in the instigation of racial 
discrimination. 
 
6- Observing peace, honoring agreements and respecting unique 
traditions of peoples and their right to security, freedom 
and self-determination are the basis for building good 
relations among all people. Achieving this is a major 
objective of all religions and prominent cultures. 
 
7 - The significance of religion and moral values and the 
need for humans to revert to their Creator in their fight 
against crime, corruption, drugs, and terrorism, and in 
preserving the institution of the family and protecting 
 
MADRID 00000799  005.2 OF 006 
 
 
societies from deviant behaviors. 
 
8- The family is the basic unit of society and its nucleus. 
Protecting it from disintegration is a cornerstone for any 
secure and stable society. 
 
9- Dialogue is one of the essentials of life. It is also one 
of the Qst important means for knowing each other, 
cooperation, exchange of interests and realizing the truth, 
which contributes to the happiness of humankind. 
 
10- The preservation of the environment and its protection 
from pollution and other dangers are considered a major 
objective of all religions and cultures. 
 
Mindful of accomplishing the above principles through 
dialogue, the conference has thoroughly reviewed the process 
of dialogue and its obstacles, as well as the catastrophes 
that afflicted humanity in the 20th Century. The Conference 
noted that terrorism is one of the most serious obstacles 
confronting dialogue and coexistence. 
 
Terrorism is a universal phenomenon that requires unified 
international efforts to combat it in a serious, responsible 
and just way. This demands an international agreement on 
defining terrorism, addressing its root causes and achieving 
justice and stability in the world. 
 
Based on the above, the conference has adopted the following 
recommendations: 
 
1- To reject theories that call for the clash of 
civilizations and cultures and to warn of the danger of 
campaigns seeking to deepen conflicts and destabilize peace 
and security. 
 
2- To enhance common human values, to cooperate in their 
dissemination within societies and to solve the problems that 
hinder their achievement. 
 
3- To disseminate the culture of tolerance and understanding 
through dialogue so as to be a framework for international 
relations through holding conferences and symposia, as well 
as developing relevant cultural, educational and media 
programs. 
 
4- To agree on international guidelines for dialogue among 
the followers of religions and cultures through which moral 
values and ethical principles, which are common denominators 
among such followers, so as to strengthen stability and 
achieve prosperity for all humans. 
 
5- To work on urging governmental and non-governmental 
organizations to issue a document that stipulates respect for 
religions and their symbols, the prohibition of their 
denigration and the repudiation of those who commit such 
acts. 
 
To fulfill these desired objectives of dialogue by this 
conference, the participants have agreed on adopting the 
following: 
 
¶1.    Forming a working team to study the problems hindering 
dialogue and prevent it from realizing its desired results. 
Its task is also to prepare a study that provides visions for 
the solution of these problems and to coordinate among bodies 
promoting world dialogue. 
 
¶2.    Cooperation among religious, cultural, educational, and 
media establishments to deepen and consolidate ethical 
values, to encourage noble social practices and to confront 
sexual promiscuity, family disintegration and other vices. 
 
¶3.    Organizing inter-religious and inter-cultural meetings, 
conducting research, executing media programs and using the 
Internet and other media for the dissemination of a culture 
of peace, understanding and coexistence. 
 
¶4.    Promoting the issue of dialogue among the followers of 
religions, civilizations and cultures within youth, cultural, 
educational, and media activities. 
 
¶5.    Calling upon the UN General Assembly to support the 
results reached by this conference. It is strongly 
recommended to make use of these recommendations in enhancing 
dialogue among the followers of religions, civilizations and 
cultures through conducting a special UN session on dialogue. 
 
MADRID 00000799  006.2 OF 006 
 
 
The participants express their hope that the Custodian of the 
Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud will 
use his good office with the concerned bodies in convening 
this session as soon as possible. It will be the pleasure of 
the members of this conference to take part in that session 
through a representative delegation, members of which are to 
be chosen by the Muslim World League. 
 
In abiding with the agreed-upon principles and concepts, the 
participants do emphasize that it is essential for this world 
dialogue to be open and that its sessions be held 
periodically. 
 
The participants have extended their profound gratitude to 
King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, the King of Saudi 
Arabia for his kind initiation and invitation to this world 
dialogue. They also expressed their appreciation for the 
Muslim World League and other bodies that cooperated in 
organizing this conference. They have applauded the continued 
efforts made by the league in the fields of dialogue and 
cooperation among nations and peoples, hoping that the common 
objectives, for which humankind aspires, are accomplished. 
Issued in Madrid, 15 Rajab 1429 A.H., 18 July 2008 5 
Aguirre