Cablegate: Fy-2003 International Visitor Program: Sri

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

211016Z Nov 02

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 002165

SIPDIS

STATE FOR ECA/PE/V/G/N-ASHIFFLETT; ECA/PE/V/P; SA/PD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OEXC SCUL KPAO OEXC
SUBJECT: FY-2003 INTERNATIONAL VISITOR PROGRAM: SRI
LANKAN NOMINATIONS FOR SA/RP ON ISLAM IN AMERICA:
AUGUST 25-SEPTEMBER 12, 2003

REF: (A) STATE 32608, (B) COLOMBO 1899

1. POST NOMINATES MR. MUSTHAFA NIHMATH, PROGRAM
DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY TRUST FUND AND MR. NOORUL AMEEN
IZZADEEN, DEPUTY EDITOR, "THE SUNDAY TIMES," FOR
PARTICIPATION IN SUBJECT PROJECT.

2. PART I OF NOMINEES' BIO DATA FOLLOWS:
EXPORT-SOURCE: USIS EVDB
VERSION: 3.0.0
POST-EMAIL: rscmb@pd.state.gov
TRANSMITTING-POST: PAS Colombo
TRANSMITTING-POST-ID: 2929
EXPORT-TYPE: BIO DATA
START NOMINATION:
USIA-OFFICE: E/VGN
PROG-AGENCY-NAME:
POST-PROJ-ID: 62
USIA-PROJ-NO:
PROJ-NAME: Islam in America - August 25 - September
12, 2003
START MEMO PROJ-DESC:

END MEMO PROJ-DESC:
PROJ-TYPE: Regional
PROG-TYPE: IV Grant Visitor
FY: 2003
DEPART-POST: 08/23/2003
SESSION-DATE: 08/25/2003
RETURN-POST: 09/14/2003
NO-OF-PART: 2
RANK-ORDER: 3
START MEMO POST-OBJ:
This nomination is in support of MPP strategic goal
on "Mutual Understanding"
END MEMO POST-OBJ:
START MEMO POST-RCMD:

END MEMO POST-RCMD:
USIA-OFFICE-ID: 1039
PROG-AGENCY-ID:
PROJ-TYPE-ID: RP
PROG-TYPE-ID: 29
NOMINATING-POST-ID: 2929
FUNDING-CNTRY-ID:
STATUS: N
ORIGINATOR: P
SUBJ-DISC: Diversity & Pluralism

3A. NOOR AMEED IZZADEEN
START BIO:
PREFIX: Mr.
F-NAME: Noorul
M-NAME: Ameen
L-NAME: IZZADEEN
SUFFIX:
PRINCIPAL?: Yes
M-ADDR1: The Sunday Times
M-ADDR2: 8, Hunupitiya Cross Road
M-ADDR3:
M-CITY: Colombo 2
M-STATE:
M-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
M-ZONE:
M-ZIP:
M-PHONE: (94-1) 423-258
M-FAX:
M-EMAIL: ameen@wijeya.lk
M-CNTRY-ID: CE
M-ADDRTYPE: B
GENDER: M
DOB: 05/31/1960
MAR-STAT: M
BIRTH-CITY: Colombo
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
START MEMO POSITION:
Deputy Editor, Sunday Times, 1999- to date
END MEMO POSITION:
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS:
Visiting lecturer in Journalism, University of
Colombo
END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS:
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS:
Chief sub-editor, Sunday Times, 1993-99
Sub-editor, Sunday Times, 1988-93
Sub-editor, Sun, 1986-88
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS:
START MEMO US-TRAVEL:
END MEMO US-TRAVEL:
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL:

END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL:
START MEMO EDUCATION:
Bachelor of Arts (General degree), University of
Peradeniya, 1994
Master of Arts degree in International Relations,
University of Colombo, 2000
Diploma in International Relations, Bandaranaike
Centre for International Studies,
Underwent two months training at Leicester Mercurym
a regional newspaper in Leicestershire, U.K. in 1993
under a Commonwealth Press Union exchange program
Fellow of the Japan Press Centre, 1995
As part of a Commonwealth Press Union fellowship,
successfully followed a course in journalism at the
Editorial Centre, Hastings, United Kingdom in 1998

END MEMO EDUCATION:
START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS:

END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS:
START MEMO PUBLICATIONS:

END MEMO PUBLICATIONS:
START MEMO SPEC-CONSID:

END MEMO SPEC-CONSID:
FIRST-LANG: Tamil
ENGL-READ: 4
ENGL-SPEAK: 4
ENGL-COMP: 4
START OTHER-LANGS:
OTHER-LANG: Sinhala
OTHER-LANG-ID: SI
READ: 4
SPEAK: 4
COMP: 4
END OTHER-LANGS:
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ:
This nomination is in support of MPP strategic goal
on "Mutual Understanding"
END MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ:
START MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD:

END MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD:
START MEMO VIS-OBJ:

END MEMO VIS-OBJ:
START MEMO VIS-REC:

END MEMO VIS-REC:
NOMINATING-OFFICER: Stephen Holgate
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION:
Mr. Izzadeen at present is the Deputy Editor of "The
Sunday Times," a publication of the Wijaya
Newspapers Ltd. and works also for the Wijaya
Group's daily paper the "Daily Mirror." He is most
known for his Friday column on world affairs for the
"Daily Mirror," but writes also for "The Sunday
Times" on a variety of local and international
issues. He supervises the Subs Desk where more than
30 sub editors do do work for the two newspapers.
In his Friday column, he analyzes and comments on
world issues from a Third World perspective. His
interest in writing about international issues,
particularly as they touch on his deeply held
Islamic identity, distinguishes him from other
writers on this leading daily.
He is an ideal candidate for the SA/RP "Islam in
America." In participating in this project, Mr.
Izzadeen will get an opportunity of observing the
freedom with which Islam is practiced in America.
Also, he would benefit much from a visit at this
time to introduce him to U.S. foreign-policy making
and to the professionalism of American columnists
and their standards of accuracy and moderate tone.

END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION:
NOM-OFF: Public Affairs
SPEAKER?: No
NOTIFY-EMB: Yes
MEDIA?: No
HOME-STAY: Yes
HOME-HOSP?: Yes
E-I-TYPE:
NOMINEE-ID: 92
PERSON-ID: 96
BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: CE
CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: CE
RES-CNTRY-ID: CE
FIRST-LANG-ID: TC
E-I-TYPE-ID:
NOM-POST-ID: 2929
NOM-FUNDING-CNTRY-ID:
NOM-STATUS: N
END BIO:

3B. MUSTHAFA NIHMATH
START BIO:
PREFIX: Mr.
F-NAME: Musthafa
M-NAME:
L-NAME: NIHMATH
SUFFIX:
PRINCIPAL?: Yes
M-ADDR1: Community Trust Fund
M-ADDR2: 14 Kadumaiyankulam Road
M-ADDR3:
M-CITY: Puttalam
M-STATE:
M-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
M-ZONE:
M-ZIP:
M-PHONE: (94-32) 67046
M-FAX:
M-EMAIL: comtrust@sltnet.lk
M-CNTRY-ID: CE
M-ADDRTYPE: B
GENDER: M
DOB: 03/19/1961
MAR-STAT: M
BIRTH-CITY: Mannar
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
START MEMO POSITION:
Program Director, Community Trust Fund, 1999- to
date
END MEMO POSITION:
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS:

END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS:
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS:
1998-99 - Field Office Assistant, UNHCR, Mannar
1994-97 - Bookkeeper, Ministry of Transport
1988-94 - Ministry of Muslim Affairs
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS:
START MEMO US-TRAVEL:

END MEMO US-TRAVEL:
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL:

END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL:
START MEMO EDUCATION:
General Certificate of Education (Ordinary) and
(Advanced) Level examinations
Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Small Business
Management, Open University of Sri Lanka
Diploma in Management, Sri Lanka Institute of
Development Administration
END MEMO EDUCATION:
START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS:

END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS:
START MEMO PUBLICATIONS:

END MEMO PUBLICATIONS:
START MEMO SPEC-CONSID:

END MEMO SPEC-CONSID:
FIRST-LANG: Tamil
ENGL-READ: 4
ENGL-SPEAK: 4
ENGL-COMP: 4
START OTHER-LANGS:
OTHER-LANG: Sinhala
OTHER-LANG-ID: SI
READ: 2
SPEAK: 3
COMP: 2
END OTHER-LANGS:
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ:
This nomination is in support of MPP strategic goal
on "Mutual Understanding"
END MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ:
START MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD:

END MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD:
START MEMO VIS-OBJ:

END MEMO VIS-OBJ:
START MEMO VIS-REC:

END MEMO VIS-REC:
NOMINATING-OFFICER: Joe Novak
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION:
Mr. Nihmath is a moderate Muslim from the Puttalam
region of Sri Lanka. Over the past year, Puttalam
has been the site of pro-Osama Bin Laden and anti-US
rallies. Mission's dealings with Mr. Nihmath have
focused primarily on the IDP issues he deals with as
Program Director of the Community Trust Fund. As a
Muslim with expertise in the human rights field in
Puttalam and as a person dealing with many Muslims
that have misperceptions of the United States and
its relationship to Islam, he can be a moderating
influence in a community that has been volatile in
the past. He is an ideal candidate for a program
involving Islam in America.
END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION:
NOM-OFF: Political
SPEAKER?: No
NOTIFY-EMB: Yes
MEDIA?: No
HOME-STAY: Yes
HOME-HOSP?: Yes
E-I-TYPE:
NOMINEE-ID: 94
PERSON-ID: 98
BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: CE
CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: CE
RES-CNTRY-ID: CE
FIRST-LANG-ID: TC
E-I-TYPE-ID:
NOM-POST-ID: 2929
NOM-FUNDING-CNTRY-ID:
NOM-STATUS: N
END BIO:
END NOMINATION:

3. PLEASE ADVISE ACCEPTANCE OF THIS NOMINATION.
WILLS

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