VZCZCXRO0041
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHJI #0348/01 2631626
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 201626Z SEP 09
FM AMCONSUL JEDDAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1518
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHIC/OIC COLLECTIVE
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 8503
RUEHDH/AMCONSUL DHAHRAN 0117
RUCNDTA/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0095
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000348 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP, IO, S/SRMC 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2019 
TAGS: KIRF KISL KWBG KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL SA OIC
SUBJECT: OIC ISLAMIC FIQH ACADEMY SECRETARY GENERAL 
DISCUSSES FATWAS ON BANKING, WOMEN, TEST TUBE BABIES, 
TERRORISM AND THE PALESTINIANS 
 
JEDDAH 00000348  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Consul General Martin R. Quinn for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( 
d) 
 
SUMMARY 
 ------ 
1.(C) Dr. Abdulsalaam Al-Abadi, Secretary General of the 
Islamic Fiqh (Jurisprudence) Academy, an Organization of the 
Islamic Conference(OIC)-affiliated institution, provided an 
overview of the Academy,s activities and its rulings, 
including those related to terrorism and the 
Palestinian/Israeli conflict, during August meeting with 
Consulate PolOff.  It was envisioned that women might 
eventually be able to join the Academy's Council while the 
President's Cairo speech in June was greeted with "great 
interest."  Although the Fiqh Academy's ability to 
incorporate the views of various Islamic schools of thought 
before issuing a ruling has enhanced its reputation and 
garnered a degree of respect in the Muslim world, the 
political disagreements among OIC member states clearly limit 
the institution's ability to address complexities related to 
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or to condemn acts of terror 
by Hamas or Hizbullah. END SUMMARY. 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
2.(SBU) Fiqh(Islamic Jurisprudence) is the methodology used 
by Islamic scholars to derive Islamic law on issues in which 
the Quran and Sunnah (Practices of the Prophet) are silent. 
Thus, Fiqh compliments Sharia (Islamic Law) with rulings that 
evolve as new circumstances and issues arise. 
THE ACADEMY'S COMPOSITION 
------------------------- 
3.(SBU) In August 25 meeting with Jeddah Poloff, Dr. 
Abdulsalaam Al-Abadi, Secretary General of the Islamic Fiqh 
(Jurisprudence) Academy, outlined the academy,s origin and 
composition. (NOTE:  Al-Abadi, Vice President of the Academy 
since 2006 and elevated to his current position in February 
2008 by OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, holds a 
master's, 1967, and doctorate, 1972, from Al Azhar University 
Faculty of Sharia and Law in Comparative Jurisprudence. END 
NOTE.) Al-Abadi explained that the the idea of the Academy 
was first proposed by the late Saudi King Khaled in 1981 in 
an effort to address contemporary problems in the Muslim 
world.  Since its founding meeting in July 1983, 
representatives from around the Muslim world, including 
scholars from all four Islamic Schools of thought as well as 
Shi,a factions of Islam, have participated.  A special 
planning session of the Academy meets yearly to determine the 
agenda for the following year,s session and often works to 
incorporate inquiries submitted by Muslim countries, 
organizations and institutions. 
4.(SBU) Scholars and experts in the fields of economics, 
astronomy and medicine are invited to attend the yearly 
conference in order to provide guidance on issues. However, 
only members of the Academy,s Council have the power to 
issue rulings, or fatwas. According to Al-Abadi the Council 
is made up of 70 religious scholars from various schools of 
thought, all of whom are highly accomplished in the area of 
Fiqh. While there are currently no women on the Council, 
Al-Abadi said in recent sessions women have participated as 
experts. He added that he would not be surprised if some 
became members of the council in the near future. 
RULINGS/FATWAS 
-------------- 
5.(SBU) Al-Abadi noted that the Council has issued rulings on 
a wide range of issues such as artificial insemination, life 
support, credit cards, the role of women in society, trading 
currency, AIDS, charity, birth control and terrorism. Asked 
if the fatwas are followed by member states Al-Abadi said 
that &although not legally binding, the Academy,s rulings 
are respected and accepted by Islamic nations and 
institutions.8 He pointed to Islamic banking as an area in 
which the institution depended heavily on Council rulings. 
¶6. SBU)Al-Abadi said that not all issues are resolved during 
the session. Whenever the Council is unable to reach a 
conclusion on a matter, it simply postpones the ruling until 
the next session.  For example in the Council,s second 
session meeting the issue of test tube babies was raised but 
was postponed to allow time &to make a thorough study of the 
subject so as to cover all its legal and medical aspects.8 
The council subsequently ruled on the matter in the third 
session, forbidding artificial insemination involving 
unmarried men and women while permitting the process for 
 
JEDDAH 00000348  002.3 OF 002 
 
 
married couples. 
THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT: OBAMA SPEECH 
--------------------------------------------- - 
"GREETED WITH GREAT INTEREST" 
----------------------------- 
7.(C) Al-Abadi briefly commented on President Obama,s 
outreach efforts, saying that the President,s speech was 
&greeted with great interest8 and that the Academy has 
&studied it in detail.8  &I commend the President for his 
goodwill gesture and for articulating the need for dialogue. 
This approach should continue on a permanent basis,8 he 
said.  Asked if the Council had addressed the issue of 
terrorism, Al-Abadi indicated that the Council was &very 
interested in the matter8 and had issued a detailed decision 
on terrorism in the 17th session held in 2006, roundly 
condemning it. 
8.(C) Al Abadi strongly maintained that the Prophet Muhammad 
had established rules for waging just war, which included 
never harming innocent civilians. Asked whether in light of 
this principle the Council condemned acts of terrorism by 
violent Palestinian groups, Al-Abadi did not directly answer 
the question, but claimed that acts of terror by Palestinians 
were a &sign of desperation by a people who were hopeless 
and couldn,t see any solutions.8 He went on to argue that 
for this reason the world should first tackle underlying 
economic and social problems that Palestinians face. 
CALL FOR NEW STRATEGY: 
---------------------- 
"MOST INFORMATION COMES FROM ISRAELI SOURCES" 
--------------------------------------------- 
9.(C) Asked his thoughts on President Obama's call for the 
Palestinians to abandon violent resistance, as a strategy 
that never succeeds, Al-Abadi said he agreed with the 
President and claimed that he and others have urged the 
Palestinians to unite and change their strategy. However, he 
commented that the realities of the conflict are not properly 
appreciated by the world since "most of the information comes 
from Israeli sources." For this reason he concluded the USG 
should continue its open dialogue with the Muslim world in 
order to &bring out the truth.8 
COMMENT: THE ACADEMY'S "CONSTRAINTS" 
------------------------------------ 
10.(C) By incorporating the views of scientific and economic 
experts and those of scholars from all four Islamic schools 
of thought and Shi,a sects, the Islamic Fiqh Academy has 
been able to publish thoughtful and deliberative edicts that 
appear to carry weight in the Muslim world on issues related 
to finance, social rituals and medicine. However, as 
Al-Abaidi demonstrated, the Fiqh Academy is unable to address 
effectively or objectively concerns related to the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While the Council has published 
strong statements condemning terrorism, the popularity of 
groups such as Hamas and Hizbullah in many of the OIC member 
states has constrained the degree to which the Council will 
work to condemn acts of terrorism perpetrated by these 
organizations. END COMMENT. 
QUINN