VZCZCXRO0890
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #2784 2881414
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151414Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5107
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 002784 
 
SIPDIS 
REF: BAGHDAD 2606 
BAGHDAD 2014 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: 
TAGS: PTER PGOV ASEC PREL EAID KJUS KCRM KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: PRT ANBAR: SUNNI ENDOWMENT TO SUPPORT ELECTIONS FROM THE 
PULPIT 
 
(U) Classified by: 
 
¶1. (U) This is a PRT Anbar (Ramadi) cable. 
 
¶2. (U) SUMMARY: Sheikh Riyad Ziad al-Zobayee, a religious sheikh and 
deputy head of the Sunni Endowment in Anbar, briefed PRT on the 
Endowment's current and future activities in support of the 
electoral process.  Among several efforts by the Endowment, Sheikh 
Riyad has written a program of sermons on the religious duty of 
Muslims to participate in the elections, which he plans to 
disseminate for use in November.  Riyad is committed to using 
mosques to encourage peaceful participation in the electoral 
process. 
 
ANBARIS WILL VOTE, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN 
------------------------------------- 
¶3. (U) The PRT Team Leader, POLOFF, and MNF-W G9 Engagement Officer 
met with Sheikh Riyad on October 10, in order to hear the Sunni 
Endowment's perspective on the current political situation and seek 
the Endowment's assistance in encouraging Anbaris to vote.  Sheikh 
Riyad stated that he believed that at least 70-75 percent of Anbaris 
would vote in the next election because they had learned a harsh 
lesson from boycotting the last national election.  To encourage 
Anbaris to get out and vote, Sheikh Riyad said that he had given 
over twenty sermons on the importance of voting, women's 
participation in the political process and the cost of not having 
adequate representation in the government.  Riyad emphasized that 
women's full participation will be key to ensuring Sunni success at 
the polls.  Noting that the Quran contains several passages that can 
be construed to make participation in elections a religious duty, 
Riyad told PRToffs that he was looking to use some of these in a 
program of sermons that, after receiving the approval of the 
provincial governor, would be disseminated to all Anbari mosques for 
recitation from the pulpit. 
 
IHEC NEEDS TO BE REFORMED 
------------------------- 
¶4. (U) Sheikh Riyad asserted that the Independent High Electoral 
Commission (IHEC) is not representative enough of the Iraqi body 
politic; it needs to include more Sunnis and political parties that 
have real influence (REF A)..  He lamented the selfishness of Iraqi 
politicians in general, and IHEC officials specifically, and 
criticized IHEC's handling of the provincial elections earlier this 
year; he stated that voting information was disseminated at the last 
minute before elections and that much of the voter education 
material was useless to the many Anbaris who are illiterate. 
Moreover, because many party leaders support the closed list system, 
voters don't know who the candidates will ultimately be.  Riyad 
offered several ideas to address these complaints, among them 
mandating that party heads show their pictures next to individual 
candidates, so that voters know for whom they are voting.  He went 
on to say that the Endowment  is  expressly apolitical, but conceded 
that the head of the Endowment, Sheik Ahmed Abdel Ghafour 
al-Sammaraie, joined a political party in order to work toward 
keeping religion out of national government. 
 
"WE CAN BRAINWASH THEM BACK" 
---------------------------- 
¶6. (U) Riyad also related several other efforts by the Endowment to 
moderate the religious messages in mosques and disseminate teachings 
that counter Al-Qaeda-inspired violent jihad ideology.  Riyad stated 
that these insurgents have brainwashed many into espousing violent 
jihad, but he wants to "brainwash them back" into understanding that 
jihad can be the struggle to build their community, to build a 
school, and to do good.  Riyad indicated that he would soon submit a 
training program to the governor that covers the subject of 
Qtraining program to the governor that covers the subject of 
reeducating those who have been taught an extremist ideology. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶7. (U) Religious leaders continue to play a significant and often 
helpful role in influencing the body politic in Iraq, as witnessed 
by Ayatollah Sistani's campaign to encourage open lists in the 
election law and voter participation amongst all communities (ref 
B). The Sunni Endowment appears to be a valuable partner in our 
efforts to educate and promote a peaceful and open election.  For 
its efforts to counter extremist ideology, Anbar Governor Qasim has 
charged the Endowment with certifying the religious credentials and 
sermons of every imam in the province.  Those who do not meet the 
Governor's standards are subject to arrest.  Although the Endowment 
claims to be apolitical, its efforts, particularly with women's 
rights issues, appear to be motivated by the desire to increase 
Sunni voter turnout and representation in the national government. 
The PRT and MNF-W maintain a good relationship with the 
organization, as does the Sahwa movement, the provincial government, 
and other influential leaders in the province. 
 
HILL