Cablegate: Nominees to Attend the Presidential

VZCZCXYZ0018
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSW #0514 3341619
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 301619Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6203

UNCLAS BERN 000514

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR S/P (G.BEHRMAN), EUR/PGI (I.WEINSTEIN), AND EUR/CE
(Y.SAINT-ANDRE)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EAID PREL SOCI PHUM XF SZ
SUBJECT: NOMINEES TO ATTEND THE PRESIDENTIAL
ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT

REF: STATE 112495

1. (SBU) In response to reftel request for post to nominate
Switzerland-based entrepreneurs of Muslim faith to attend The
Presidential Entrepreneurship Summit, Embassy Bern submits
the following nominees:

Cebrail Terlemez: Mr. Terlemez is the Secretary General of
the Institute for Intercultural Cooperation and Dialogue, a
non-partisan, not-for-profit association founded in 2005 and
based in Zurich. The majority of the founding members were
Muslims, but the Institute is open to all people from
different cultures and aims to foster dialogue between
adherents of different religions. Terlemez, who moved with
his family from Turkey to Switzerland at the age of four,
studied German literature and works as a translator and
cultural mediator in hospitals, courts, and in the public
education system in Zurich. Terlemez speaks German and some
English, in addition to his native Turkish. In 2008, he
participated in a specially-designed International Visitor
Leadership Program (IVLP) for young leaders with a focus on
Muslim issues. He has been a regular invitee and attendee at
post's annual Iftar dinner. Mr. Terlemez could best be
categorized as a social entrepreneuership stakeholder.

Amira Hafner-Al-Jabaji: Ms. Hafner-Al-Jabaji is a freelance
consultant and publicist on Islam. She is involved in
interfaith dialogue in Switzerland and often interviewed in
the Swiss media (including Swiss television). Ms. Hafner's
father is from Iraq, and her mother from Germany. She
studied at the University of Bern, and holds a degree in
Islamic Studies, Philology, and Communications. She promotes
a liberal and moderate view of Islam, and has been a regular
invitee and attendee at post's annual Iftar dinner. Ms.
Hafner-Al-Jabaji could best be categorized as a social
entrepreneuership stakeholder.

2. (SBU) Comment: There are an estimated 350,000 persons of
Muslim faith in Switzerland, whose total population is
approximately 7.7 million. The majority of Switzerland-based
Muslims are fairly recent immigrants from the former
Yugoslavia (primarily from Kosovo). Most of these
individuals are engaged in the service and small business
sectors. Based on post's understanding of the scope and
objectives of The Presidential Entrepreneurship Summit, we
believe that candidates engaged in social entrepreneuership,
such as those above, are the most promising Switzerland-based
nominees. End Comment.
BEYER

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