Cablegate: Egyptian Reactions to Papal Comments
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1442
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 1434
RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN PRIORITY 0011
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TAGS: PREL PGOV KISL EG
SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN REACTIONS TO PAPAL COMMENTS
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SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: A loud chorus of Egyptian political and
religious leaders has publicly criticized Pope Benedict XVI's
September 12 comments regarding Islam. The Pope's September
17 statement that he is "deeply sorry" about the reaction to
his comments has been met with varying reactions in Egypt,
with some al Azhar preachers rejecting the Pope's apology,
but the Grand Shaykh of al Azhar stating that he will not
comment on the Pope's apology until he has read the entire
statement. Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mahdi Akef
reportedly has said that the Pope's apologetic statement was
"sufficient," but some MB MP's are agitating for
parliamentary committee meetings to further discuss the
issue. END SUMMARY.
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MUSLIM AND CHRISTIAN LEADERS ARE CRITICAL
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2. (SBU) According to press reports, Grand Shaykh of al Azhar
Mohamed Sayyed Tantawi issued a September 15 statement
"denouncing" the comments "attributed to Pope Benedict XVI,
noting that they reflect "egregious ignorance of Islam ...
the statements, which enraged 1.8 billion (sic) Muslims
around the world, do not serve efforts to sustain dialogue
among religions, civilizations and cultures." Following the
Pope's reported September 17 statement noting that he is
"deeply sorry" about the reaction in some countries to his
comments, and that his quotation of 14th century Byzantine
emperor Manuel II Palaeologus does not reflect his personal
views, Grand Shaykh Tantawi issued a press statement that he
would not comment on the Pope's apology until after carefully
reading his comments in full. However, according to
September 18 press reports, several al Azhar preachers have
declared a rejection of the Pope's apology.
3. (SBU) At a September 17 press conference, Coptic Pope
Shenouda III said that "the teachings of Jesus Christ are
against insulting others," and stressed that Pope Benedict's
"error" "would not undermine the distinguished ties between
Islam and Christianity that date back more than 14
centuries." Shenouda called on Egyptians to stand united
against "foreign schemes to sow the seeds of discord between
Muslims and Christians." Coptic Church spokesman Bishop
Murcos told Al-Wafd daily newspaper on September 16 that,
"the Church categorically rejects the comments of the Vatican
pope. We must respect the Muslim faithful and their prophet
as we respect the followers of Jesus Christ and it is
unacceptable to offend their religious beliefs." The deputy
patriarch of Egypt's Catholics, Father Yohana Qalta, in
comments to the IslamOnline website on September 16
attributed Pope Benedict's comments to his poor knowledge of
Islam and Muslims, warning that the "surprising remarks"
could play into the hands of extremists. Qalta said, "The
pontiff's words have surprised the Catholics in Egypt and the
whole East."
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GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS DENOUNCE POPE'S STATEMENTS
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4. (SBU) MFA spokesman Ala al-Hadidi on September 15 quoted
Egyptian FM Ahmed Aboul Gheit as expressing fear that the
Pope's statements might instigate calls for a clash between
cultures and weaken efforts to bring "the West and East
closer." Aboul Gheit called for "urgent clarifications" of
the comments. In a September 15 statement, Safwat al Sherif,
speaker of the Egyptian Shura Council (upper parliamentary
house) expressed, " complete resentment at (the Pope's)
statements, which ... offended Islam and the honorable
Prophet, and contradicted the respect of the values of
tolerance promoted by the various heavenly religions and the
values of dialogue between civilizations." The Shura
Council called on the Pope to "clarify the truth about what
was attributed to him and set matters right by declaring the
truth about these statements in order to put an end to the
wide resentment which dominated the Egyptian, Arab, and
Islamic street over these statements." According to press
reports, Speaker of the People's Assembly Fathi Surour issued
a statement on September 15 asserting that "the latest attack
on Islam is a continuation of anti-Islamic campaigns ... this
recalls the Catholic Church's antagonistic attitude towards
the Islamic faith since the 8th century ...." Dr. Ahmed
Omar Hashem, chair of Parliament's Religious Affair's
Committee, also issued a statement calling on the Pope to
apologize and to vow not to repeat "such an act." Following
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the Pope's September 17 apology, Hashem told reporters that
his committee would convene on September 18 to discuss a
"reply."
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MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD REACTION
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5. (SBU) Muslim Brotherhood (MB) Supreme Guide Mohamed Mahdi
Akef "expressed his anger" in a September 15 statement
published on the MB's website and widely reported in the
Egyptian press. Akef called on the Pope to apologize for his
statements and to begin an "in-depth and fair" study of
Islam. In subsequent September 18 press reports, Akef is
quoted as stating that the Pope's September 17 apologetic
statement is "sufficient." However, deputy chairman of the
MB parliamentary bloc, Husayn Muhamed Ibrahim, on September
17 called for a joint emergency meeting of the parliamentary
Religious Affairs and Foreign Relations Committees, to
discuss "the ramifications of the grave offense of the Pope
of Rome against Islam ... it has become well known that,
although he regretted his statements, the pronouncements made
by the Pope reveal an acute fanaticism and extreme ignorance
not only of Islam, the Prophet, and history of Islam, but
also of the history of mankind, which has recognized the role
of Islamic civilization in helping Europe exit from the Dark
Ages ...." Other MB parliamentarians have reportedly called
for a "massive" September 22 conference at al Azhar to
discuss ways of confronting "the worldwide anti-Islamic
campaign," and called for cutting off ties with the Vatican
until the Pope has retracted his statement. Others have
allegedly criticized the Grand Shaykh of al Azhar for his
"feeble position" on the issue.
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COMMENT
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6. (SBU) While mass protests have not materialized as some
had predicted, emotions surrounding the Pope's comments are
nonetheless running high, among both religious and secular
leaders. With memories of the Danish cartoon controversy and
Lebanon crisis clearly in mind, Egyptian politicians and
religious leaders are anxious to act as vigilant defenders of
Islam, and to remain ahead of the curve of Egyptian public
opinion during this latest controversy; so far, they have
been successful.
RICCIARDONE