VZCZCXRO4288
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHLG #0320/01 1601418
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 091418Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0550
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LILONGWE 000320 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
LONDON FOR AF WATCHER PETER LORD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL SCUL KPAO KISL MI
SUBJECT: MALAWI: PRESIDENT OBAMA'S SPEECH OPENS DOORS FOR INCREASED 
MUSLIM OUTREACH 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Discussions with student groups and Muslim leaders 
following President Obama's recent speech in Cairo have highlighted 
several opportunities for increased outreach to the Muslim community 
in Malawi.  Commenting on President Obama's balance and 
inclusiveness in the speech, observers noted that the U.S. 
government could help bolster interfaith efforts in Malawi.  Muslim 
leaders also asked for the Ambassador's engagement to address 
religious discrimination in Malawi.  Finally, Muslim leaders noted 
in the post-speech dialogue the need for greater intra-community 
coordination.  To continue this dialogue, the Embassy has committed 
to hosting a diverse group of Muslim leaders on a quarterly basis to 
work with the Muslim community in Malawi as it pursues its goals. 
End Summary. 
 
Positive Reaction to Cairo Speech 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) The Embassy facilitated viewing and subsequent discussions of 
President Obama's Cairo speech at the Public Affairs Section and 
three American Corners with over 220 attending the four separate 
events.  Later in the day, the Ambassador hosted a roundtable 
discussion with 15 senior Malawian Muslim leaders.  The reaction of 
both leaders and students was overwhelmingly positive and many 
commented on President Obama's balance and inclusiveness in the 
speech.  Several Muslim leaders were impressed by the President's 
quotations of religious texts and his personal messages regarding 
his exposure to Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.  During a call-in 
show on Radio Islam two days after the speech, over 90% of callers 
lauded President Obama for taking a bold step forward to improve 
U.S.-Muslim relations. 
 
Basis for Greater Cooperation with USG 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) In the follow-up discussions, Muslim community members 
expressed universal interest in exploring opportunities for further 
U.S.-Muslim cooperation in Malawi.  Citing the President's balance 
of religions, students and leaders immediately seized on the need 
for greater interfaith efforts in Malawi and the possibility that 
the U.S. could play a beneficial role.  Students specifically called 
for the elimination of religious stereotyping in Malawi, with some 
noting that Malawian school rules do not always respect religious 
differences.  (Note:  Malawi allows local parent-teacher 
associations to select the form of religious education for 
government primary schools, potentially isolating minority religious 
groups in a school's area.  End note.)  Overall, Muslims were in 
favor of increasing their work through existing interfaith 
organizations to address and solve these issues. 
 
¶4. (U) Muslim leaders went further, saying that greater intra-Muslim 
dialogue was necessary.  The majority of attendees were African 
Muslims, but Malawi also has a small, but wealthy Asian Muslim 
population.  Participants stressed the need for both African and 
Asian Muslims to work together.  A prominent Muslim parliamentarian 
said that a common platform was necessary to educate the Islamic 
community on big issues such as women's rights and tolerance.  The 
MP said foreign teachers brought high-quality instruction in Arabic 
language at Muslim schools, but other subjects often received less 
attention.  Quickly identifying this problem as one of the 
President's seven issues, the leaders asked for U.S. financial 
support for Muslim girls' education, especially in rural parts of 
Malawi. 
 
¶5. (U) A recurring theme among the discussions was the role of 
Malawian Muslims, who make up less than 20% of the population.  In a 
country with few ethnic or tribal tensions, Muslims said they 
continue to feel that they fall behind the Christian majority in 
access to government resources and services.  The group of Muslim 
leaders asked the Ambassador to help encourage the government to 
ensure there is no religious discrimination in Malawi. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶6. (SBU) The Muslim community in Malawi has a history of good 
relations with the U.S. Embassy, but the occasion of President 
Obama's speech offered an opportunity to look for new areas of 
potential cooperation.  While Muslims have had prominent roles in 
Malawi, including holding the offices of President and 
Vice-President, the Islamic community in Malawi continues to view 
itself as disadvantaged due to historical disparities in education. 
The Ambassador agreed to regularize our informal but positive 
relationship with the Islamic community in Malawi by agreeing to 
host quarterly meetings with community leaders.  The Islamic 
community has been positive in their response to our engagement with 
them, and we will seek additional opportunities to help them enhance 
their generally positive role in Malawi civil society.  We should 
not miss the chance to engage as a partner in promoting greater 
interfaith dialogue and cooperation given the minority status of 
 
LILONGWE 00000320  002 OF 002 
 
 
Muslims in Malawi. 
 
WARNER