VZCZCXRO7621
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHML #0186/01 0290647
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 290647Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3001
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNA/CDRUSPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 000186 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MTS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM ELAB PGOV RP
SUBJECT: SECOND ULAMA CONFERENCE REACHES OUT TO PRESIDENT 
OBAMA 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  At the Philippines' second-ever Ulama 
Conference, conference organizers provided an open letter to 
President Obama in which they expressed their heartfelt 
appreciation for his effort to reach out to them -- even as 
early as in his inaugural address, and their desire to 
strengthen ties of friendship with the people of the United 
States.  (The letter's full text follows below.)  Remarks by 
Ambassador to the group were warmly welcomed by over 200 
Muslim scholars assembled from the southern Philippines and 
elsewhere.  The Ambassador underscored U.S. respect for 
Islam, and noted that the new U.S. administration wants to 
build bridges to, and open dialogue with, the Muslim 
community at large.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) The stated purpose of this second Ulama Conference in 
the Philippines, a four-day event in Quezon City attended by 
more than 200 Muslim leaders (including women) from Mindanao 
and elsewhere in the Philippines, was to help the ulama 
organize a national umbrella organization of Muslim religious 
leaders.  Thirty aleemat (Muslim women religious scholars) 
joined the gathering to discuss their proposals for 
organizing the Muslim community.  During this second national 
summit, the ulama sought to ratify the charter for their 
organization and elect their governing board.  They hoped the 
conference would be successful in establishing a network with 
the potential to be a major vehicle for peace and development 
work, similar to the Christian religious network. 
 
¶3. (U) Conference organizers presented the Ambassador with an 
open letter to President Obama (text provided below).  The 
letter notes the President's inaugural address and quotes a 
"new way forward, based on mutual respect and mutual 
interest."  It asks that the President address six aims 
ranging from engaging the Muslim world to extending relief to 
displaced people in Mindanao.  Following her remarks, the 
Ambassador offered a brief television interview in which she 
reiterated President Obama's respect for Islam, and his 
desire to listen to what the rest of the world has to say. 
 
¶4. (U) The Ambassador's remarks focused on the respect that 
the U.S. has for Muslims.  She pointed out the background of 
President Obama, and that his first interview with an 
international press organization was with Al Arabiya (a 
comment that received strong applause from the audience). 
She emphasized that the President truly wants to hear the 
concerns of the Muslim world, and pointed out how much she 
has learned from the Muslim people during her many trips to 
Mindanao.  She congratulated the conference participants on 
their taking the initiative to work together for peace and 
development, and expressed the sincere wish of the USG that 
Mindanao achieves the peace and prosperity that it so richly 
deserves. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The gathering of more than 200 Muslim spiritual 
leaders from throughout the region presented a rare 
opportunity for the Ambassador to address -- and more 
importantly, listen to the concerns of -- a group that has 
sometimes felt marginalized in Philippine society.  While 
Mission officials invariably receive a warm welcome from 
generally friendly Muslim communities in the Philippines, the 
Ambassador's mention of President Obama's message of respect 
for the Muslim world garnered an exceptionally enthusiastic 
response, clearly reflecting the goodwill they feel toward 
the President.  Their letter to President Obama is very 
positive.  Most, if not all, of their requests for the United 
States reflect efforts already underway. 
 
¶6. (U) Begin text of letter: 
 
2nd NATIONAL SUMMIT OF ULAMA IN THE PHILIPPINES 
Quezon City, Philippines 
January 26 to 29, 2009 
 
AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA 
 
January 29, 2009 
 
HIS EXCELLENCY 
PRESIDENT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA 
Washington, D.C. 
United States of American 
 
Dear Mr. President: 
 
Greetings of peace and goodwill. 
 
MANILA 00000186  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
We, the undersigned participants to the 2nd National Ulama 
Summit in the Philippines, held on January 26 to 29, 2009 at 
the Imperial Palace Suites, Quezon City, Philippines, send 
our heartfelt congratulations and felicitations to Your 
Excellency for having been sworn into office as the first 
American President with personal ties to the Islamic world, 
Asia and Africa. 
 
We take note of Your Excellency's inaugural address on 
January 20, 2009.  We express our deep appreciation for your 
statement assuring the Muslim world of a "new way forward, 
based on mutual respect and mutual interest."  We also take 
note with interest of Your Excellency's description of 
America as "a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and 
child who seeks a future of peace and dignity."  And so in 
the spirit of your recent pronouncement that "America will 
start by listening, not dictating," the Muslims in the 
Philippines, with equal vigor and commitment to peace and the 
dignity of humanity, hereby reach out across the ocean to 
take outstretched hand and seek to renew and strengthen our 
friendship with America and the American people. 
 
On this momentous occasion, we make the following appeal to 
Your Excellency, with goodwill and universal peace as our 
primary aim: 
 
¶1.  To engage the Muslim world, particularly the ulama 
sector, through dialogue and cooperation that will benefit 
our communities and humanity; 
 
¶2.  To address the root cause of the problem in the Middle 
East by recognizing the right of the Palestinians to their 
homeland and a state of their own; 
 
¶3.  To vigorously support the peace process in Mindanao to 
end the 40-year armed conflict which has resulted in 600,000 
displaced and hundreds killed since August 2008, and work to 
bring the Government of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro 
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) back to the negotiating table 
as soon as possible; 
 
¶4.  To support the legitimate and inherent right of the 
Bangsamoro people to self-determination; 
 
¶5.  To support the full implementation of the 1996 Final 
Peace Agreement between the Moro National Liberation Front 
(MILF) and the Philippine government; and 
 
¶6.  To extend massive relief and rehabilitation assistance to 
internally displaced persons in Mindanao, particularly in 
conflict-affected areas, through socio-economic development 
programs that will bring prosperity and dignity to our people. 
 
In conclusion, we heard you loud and clear when you told the 
Muslim world: "Americans are not your enemy."  Mr. President, 
with respect and a conviction to improve relations between 
Muslims and the West, we also say to you, "the Muslims are 
not your enemy." 
 
We reiterate our felicitations and congratulations to Your 
Excellency.  Please accept our highest regard and good wishes 
to the First Family and to the American people. 
 
Thank you, Mr. President, and Godspeed. 
 
Sincerely, 
 
(SIGNATORIES) 
KENNEY