Cablegate: Response of Zimbabwean Muslim/Islamic Political

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

100624Z Oct 01

UNCLASSIFIED PTO8086

PAGE 01 HARARE 03009 100655Z
ACTION SS-00

INFO LOG-00 AF-00 UTED-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 PA-00 PM-00
PRS-00 SCT-00 SSO-00 PMB-00 SAS-00 /000W
------------------2C6C8D 100655Z /75
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9992

UNCLAS HARARE 003009

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR TASK FORCE 1 - PD, INFO AF/PD (COX, ROBERTSON,
SANDERS)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO OPRC ZI
SUBJECT: RESPONSE OF ZIMBABWEAN MUSLIM/ISLAMIC POLITICAL
LEADERS

REF: STATE 175484

1. ZIMBABWEAN MUSLIM/ISLAMIC LEADERS HAVE NOT OFFERED
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON EVENTS IN AFGHANISTAN.

2. MUSLIMS IN ZIMBABWE ARE PRIMARILY WELL EDUCATED AND
INFORMED MERCHANTS AND PROFESSIONALS, PEOPLE NOT EASILY
SWAYED BY EMOTIONAL RHETORIC. THE COMMUNITY'S RELIGIOUS
LEADERS GENERALLY REFLECT THE SOPHISTICATION OF THEIR
CONSTITUENTS. ONE INFLUENTIAL MEMBER OF ZIMBABWE'S SMALL
ISLAMIC COMMUNITY TOLD PAO THAT MUSLIMS HERE WERE
"HEARTBROKEN" ABOUT THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS AND DO NOT
IDENTIFY WITH BIN LADEN OR THE TALIBAN'S RADICALLY
FUNDAMENTAL INTERPRETATION OF ISLAM. THE CONTACT SAID THAT
WHILE ZIMBABWEAN MUSLIMS MAY HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT THE U.S.
MILITARY ACTIONS AGAINST THE TALIBAN, THEY ARE MORE BROADLY
REFLECTIVE OF ZIMBABWEAN, RATHER THAN MUSLIM, MISGIVINGS
ABOUT THE WISDOM OF MILITARY ACTION AGAINST A TARGET AS
ELUSIVE AS BIN LADEN AND HIS TALIBAN SUPPORTERS.

SULLIVAN

UNCLASSIFIED

>

© Scoop Media