VZCZCXRO6663
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHUJA #0185/01 0491229
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 181229Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0325
INFO ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0103

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ABUJA 000185 
 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/W, AF/RSA, AF/PDPA, DRL, INR/AA 
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PASS TO AMEMBASSY MALABO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/01/26 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR PTER SOCI KDEM KISL KPAO NI
SUBJECT: NORTHERN NIGERIAN MUSLIM VIEWS OF THE UNITED STATES 
 
REF: 09 ABUJA 2352 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: James P. McAnulty, Political Counselor, U.S. Embassy 
Abuja, Political Section; REASON: 1.4(B), (D) 
 
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SUMMARY 
 
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¶1. (C) Muslim scholars, government officials, politicians, 
professors, students, and civil society representatives discussed 
their views on the United States and its foreign policy with 
PolOffs during a visit in January to the Northern Nigerian state of 
Sokoto.  Many interlocutors expressed appreciation for President 
Obama's June 2009 speech in Cairo and conveyed optimism that the 
Obama administration would improve U.S. relations with the Muslim 
world.  They cited resolution of the crisis in the Middle East, 
however, as key to improving such relations.  Most contacts viewed 
U.S. foreign policy as one-sided in its support of Israel, but 
considered the U.S. as responsible for negotiating peace.  Several 
Mission contacts said all other forms of engagement with Muslim 
communities are meaningless unless there is peace in the Middle 
East.  The views of some Nigerian Muslims shifted in the wake of 
Nigerian suspect Faruk Umaru Abdulmutallab's December 25 attempted 
attack on a U.S. commercial airliner.  Nigeria's Muslim community 
condemned Abdulmutallab's actions in unconditional and unequivocal 
terms, but, after the U.S. added Nigeria to the Transportation 
Security Administration (TSA) list as a "country of interest," 
Mission contacts began to express embarrassment, anger, and 
suspicion.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
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NIGERIAN MUSLIMS STRESS IMPORTANCE OF MIDDLE EAST PEACE 
 
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¶2. (SBU) Sokoto residents spoke highly of President Obama, his June 
2009 speech in Cairo, and U.S. plans to improve relations with the 
Muslim world.  Interlocutors cautioned PolOffs, however, that 
Muslims are "like one body" and a "global village" and therefore 
view peace in the Middle East as the essential factor in promoting 
a better view of the U.S. within Muslim communities. 
 
 
 
¶3. (C) Usmanu Danfodiyo University Professor of Arabic Studies 
Sambo Wali Junaidu described President Obama's Cairo speech as 
"positive," "pleasing," and "most accommodating."  He added, 
however, that people want to see the U.S. President put his words 
into action, specifically by resolving the Middle East conflict. 
He said Northern Nigerian Muslims, for example, believe the U.S. 
can force Israel to stop building settlements. 
 
 
 
¶4. (C) Separately, three prominent Muslim scholars explained the 
importance they attach to U.S. policy in the Middle East.  Usmanu 
Danfodiyo University Professor and Muslim scholar Adamu Abdullahi 
said the new U.S. approach to engagement with Muslim communities is 
"different" and "good," but Muslims worldwide wanted to see 
concrete results, especially in resolving the Middle East conflict. 
He recommended that the U.S. engage in "sincere dialogue" and use 
its influence, for example, to stop Israel from building 
settlements.  Likewise, Muslim scholar Mansur Ibrahim said Nigerian 
Muslims are pleased with Obama's speeches and optimistic that the 
current administration will beget peace, but are still waiting to 
see the U.S. "take action."  Like Professors Junaidu and Abdullahi, 
Ibrahim held that Israel would not continue to build settlements if 
the U.S. was serious about pursuing peace in the Middle East. 
Sociology Associate Professor Suleiman Khalid also said Obama's 
inaugural address and his Cairo speech were well received by 
Muslims, but that they "expect to see it translated into practice." 
Khalid explained that Northern Nigerians have many identities, 
including political, ethnic, and geographic.  However, most 
 
ABUJA 00000185  002 OF 004 
 
 
strongly identify themselves as Muslim, and are, therefore, 
conscious of what happens to their "brothers" throughout the world. 
He added that, despite low literacy in Northern Nigeria, the 
population is aware of global affairs from international radio 
programs. 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) During a youth round-table discussion at the American 
Corner in Sokoto, some students, particularly those who had 
traveled to the U.S., stated that they viewed President Obama's 
speech in Cairo as "amazing" and appreciated his quoting of the 
Koran.  Others, however, remarked that the U.S. and Europe are not 
sincere in their efforts to engage the Muslim world.  One student 
said, when he heard the U.S. President speak in Cairo, he thought 
the speech was "purely politics."  Some students said that the U.S. 
shows aggression and interference in Islamic countries and urged 
the U.S. to refrain from intervening in countries' internal 
affairs. 
 
 
 
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SHIFTING ATTITUDES, GROWING SUSPICIONS 
 
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¶6. (SBU) Sokoto interlocutors condemned Abdulmutallab's actions, 
insisting that Islam is a religion of peace.  Many expressed 
embarrassment from the event.  Media reports that the U.S. had 
added Nigeria as a "country of interest," however, have caused 
Nigerian Muslims to feel harshly judged and discriminated against 
by the U.S., which has led people to become angry and suspicious. 
 
 
 
¶7. (C) Muslim scholar Khalid said the Abdulmutallab incident is 
"strange" to Nigeria since suicide bombing is not part of Nigerian 
culture, which contributed to skepticism and conspiracy theories. 
Khalid expressed skepticism over the ability of Abdulmutallab to 
pass through the various security screenings if he had had the bomb 
materials on him at the time.  He asserted the possibility that 
Abdulmutallab had undergone "hypnosis" after which someone had 
planted the bomb on him.  He even wondered whether the U.S. might 
have set up the incident as an excuse to invade Yemen.  Echoing 
arguments heard from other Nigerian interlocutors, Khalid 
questioned why the U.S. had not placed Great Britain on a security 
watch list after the "shoe bomber" incident or after learning that 
Abdulmutallab had received much of his higher education in London. 
 
 
 
¶8. (C) Opposition Democratic People's Party (DPP) Sokoto State 
Secretary Athair Mohammed insisted to PolOffs that U.S. reaction to 
Abdulmutallab's attempted attack contrasted with the President's 
message in Cairo.  He claimed that the U.S.-Nigeria relationship 
was "irreparable" as a result of Nigeria's inclusion as a "country 
of interest."  He opined that the U.S. should not place names of 
individuals on any watch list, as he feared that persons with 
similar names would suffer. 
 
 
 
¶9. (C) Federal Organization of Muslim Women's Associations of 
Nigeria (FOMWAN) Sokoto Branch representatives emphasized to 
PolOffs that they did not condone Abdulmutallab's actions, calling 
the attempted attack "lamentable."  They, too, said an unfair bias 
now existed against Nigerians as a result of one individual's 
actions. 
 
 
 
¶10. (C) Professor Junaidu said Nigerian Muslims did not support 
Abdulmutallab's actions, blaming him for what he attempted to do, 
but described the U.S. reaction as "wrong."  He described the TSA 
listing of Nigeria as a "miscarriage of justice."  Junaidu remarked 
that the U.S. should not hold 150 million Nigerians accountable for 
 
ABUJA 00000185  003 OF 004 
 
 
one person's actions.  He expressed disappointment that the 
Secretary of State had described Abdulmutallab as "an enemy waging 
war on America," advising that U.S. officials should not repeat 
this phrase.  He recommended that the U.S. extradite Abdulmutallab 
to Nigeria for prosecution and sentencing. 
 
 
 
¶11. (C) Sokoto State Permanent Secretary for Political and 
Chieftaincy Affairs Salihu Muhammad Gatawa said "Americans need to 
understand that there is a great difference between a Muslim and an 
extremist."  He opined that the need existed to enhance security 
and surveillance, while simultaneously educating and enlightening 
others about real Islam.  He said suicide is contrary to both Islam 
and Nigerian culture.  He commented that many people do not 
consider Abudulmutallab to be a real Nigerian. 
 
 
 
¶12. (SBU) Students said they felt "stigmatized" by the inclusion of 
Nigeria on the U.S. list of "countries of interest."  Some students 
expressed doubts about the accuracy of the accounts of 
Abdulmutallab's actions and believed that the incident could 
involve a conspiracy. 
 
 
 
¶13. (C) Usmanu Danfodiyo University Centre for Peace Studies 
Director T. A. Muhammad Baba, who had initially offered to assist 
PolOffs in organizing a discussion with students, later demurred, 
saying he did not consider the timing for the visit to be good.  He 
described the environment in Sokoto following Abdulmutallab's 
arrest as "too tense."  Baba told PolOffs that some people had 
become suspicious of his intentions and asked if he worked for the 
"CIA."  He remarked that even some professors refused to meet with 
visiting PolOffs.  Similarly, the Muslim scholars said those who 
support development programs are seen by others as "U.S. agents." 
 
 
 
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CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT 
 
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¶14. (C) Sokoto contacts generally believed that the American people 
are accepting of Muslims, but alleged that U.S. foreign policy was 
damaging to Muslim communities and said the U.S. government "has to 
change."  Muslim scholar Abdullahi said the U.S. is currently only 
"treating the symptoms."  He asserted that exchange opportunities 
and programs in Muslim communities are not addressing the real 
problems in the Muslim world.  Moreover, he said U.S. foreign 
policies negate the achievements and progress made from these types 
of outreach.  He recommended that the U.S. begin to do things that 
"give Muslim people confidence."  Abdullahi's colleague Khalid 
accused the U.S. of having double standards and said "it seems the 
American people elect governments that act in contrast to them." 
He said Muslims believe the United States instigated the 1980 to 
1988 war between Iraq and Iran.  When asked which country they 
thought the U.S. should emulate, the religious scholars said, 
"China is the ideal example of a country promoting development 
while practicing non-interference." 
 
 
 
¶15. (SBU) DPP Sokoto State Secretary Athair Mohammed suggested that 
more diplomatic dialogue and messages countering negative media 
reports would be needed to improve U.S.-Nigeria relations following 
the Abdulmutallab incident.  FOMWAN Sokoto State Secretary Fatima 
Ahmad said people in the area, especially women, remained concerned 
with their ability to practice their religion freely.  The FOMWAN 
representatives encouraged the U.S. to continue dialogue, visits, 
and exchange opportunities.  They suggested that the U.S. may need 
to "relax some of the rules."  Sokoto State Religious Affairs 
Permanent Secretary Abubakar Nababa Umar said the U.S. should "put 
forward its intentions" and continue to provide humanitarian 
assistance through nongovernmental organizations.  Sokoto Governor 
 
ABUJA 00000185  004 OF 004 
 
 
Wamakko said he hoped the U.S. would reinstate the Peace Corps in 
addition to continuing to offer exchange opportunities. 
 
 
 
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COMMENT 
 
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¶16. (C) Nigeria's TSA listing rankled many Nigerians, both Muslim 
and Christian, but the broader suspicions and skepticisms of these 
Muslim elites reflect the paranoia and disinformation frequently 
promoted by extremist websites and other Islamist portals.  It is 
unclear how deep these sentiments run in Northern Nigeria, but 
there's no question that the region's low literacy, 
underdevelopment, and relative isolation foster an environment 
vulnerable to extremist manipulation.  END COMMENT. 
SANDERS