FIRST CATHOLIC-MUSLIM FORUM MEETING SUCCESFUL

CONFIDENTIAL C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000087 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/10/2028 TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, KIRF, SA, JO, VT SUBJECT: FIRST CATHOLIC-MUSLIM FORUM MEETING SUCCESFUL REF: A. VATICAN 84 B. VATICAN 5 C. VATICAN 77 VATICAN 00000087 001.2 OF 002 CLASSIFIED BY: Rafael Foley, Pol Chief. REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) Summary ------- 1. (C) Participants of the first substantial meeting of the Catholic-Muslim Forum held in Rome November 4 to 6 (ref. A) were satisfied with the event and their audience with the Pope. The Forum agreed to meet again in two years, possibly in a Muslim-majority country. The meeting's final declaration calls for religious freedom, protection of minorities, respect for religious symbols, and equal rights. There were no political personalities among the delegations, and the only participant from the Arabian Peninsula was the Holy See's Apostolic Vicar (based in Abu Dhabi). The "138" group of Muslim scholars has hired a public relations firm to develop communication strategies. According to Holy See officials and Muslim scholars, Catholic-Muslim dialogue may be having a positive effect on promoting change within Islam. End summary. 2. (C) Following the public presentation of the outcome declaration, Catholic and Muslim delegates told polchief that they were very satisfied with the meeting. Father Ayuso, President of the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies and a member of the Catholic delegation, explained that a medical emergency had forced Prince Ghazi of Jordan to cancel his participation. There were no political personalities among the delegates. Earlier, the Pope urged the delegations to ensure that "the positive developments that emerge from Muslim-Christian dialogue are not limited to a small group of experts and scholars, but are passed on as a precious legacy to be placed at the service of all, to bear fruit in the way we live each day." 3. (C) The Holy See's Apostolic Vicar for the Arabian Peninsula, Bishop Paul Hinder, noted that there were no representatives of this region among the Muslim delegates. He thought, however, that there are changes taking place in Saudi Arabia. It will take time for religious freedom to rise, and one should not expect "a cathedral to be built in Riyadh tomorrow". Hinder said that some Muslim delegates had claimed during the seminar that the Church's "aggressive" proselytizing was an obstacle to better relations. He disagreed. Evangelicals, he told polchief, are sometimes aggressive proselytizers, but not Catholics. He also said that, in some Muslim countries, prison inmates who convert to Islam get their sentences cancelled or drastically reduced, which he thought was an example of Muslim proselytizing to vulnerable individuals. 4. (C) Professor Ilaria Morali, a Catholic delegate, told polchief that the Muslim delegation's willingness to discuss human rights was in itself a significant achievement. The declaration endorses "the right of individuals and communities to practice religion in private and public" and mentions freedom and equal rights. The declaration also states that "human dignity and respect are extended on an equal basis to both men and women." Two Muslim and three Catholic women were part of the delegations. 5. (U) A Muslim delegate commented in the public session how hurtful it is for Muslims to witness disrespect for the Prophet Mohammed, and welcomed the final declaration stating that religious founding figures and sacred symbols "should not be subject to any form of mockery or ridicule". The seminar's final declaration, as well as the Pope's and Muslim presentations at the November 6 audience, are available in the www.acommonword.com and the www.vatican.va websites 6. (C) Scholars in the Muslim delegation, which were all part of the "138 group" that initially called for dialogue (ref. B), have underlined that the group includes scholars from all currents of Islam, leading one of its members to claim that it represents "all Muslims". Another Muslim delegate stated that the 138 initiative and the Saudi-sponsored inter-faith process (ref. C) are complementary: "Because there are so many problems, there is a need for more than one initiative". 7. (C) A public relations firm, Bell-Pottinger, will assist the 138 group develop a communications strategy. Representatives of the firm met with Ambassador Glendon and other Western Ambassadors to the Holy See during a breakfast hosted by the UK Ambassador, Francis Campbell, on November 5. The firm representatives said that the 138 group had decided to send acholars that are relatively "tough" to engage the Holy See. The Ambassadors warned against this approach, underlining the importance that the Holy See attaches to mutual respect in its diplomatic and inter-faith relations. VATICAN 00000087 002.2 OF 002 Comment ------- 8. (C) While Holy See officials have underlined that political representatives can not speak for religions, they had hoped that Muslim political leaders would be present at the meeting to extend the reach of the discussions to Muslim public opinion. The 138 group has been flexible and constructive in its engagement, but it is still not clear how influential they are with average Muslims and with extremists. 9. (C) The Forum's decision to meet again in two years underscores the very gradual pace of inter-religious dialogue. To move the process forward, the Holy See will continue to engage more than one group concurrently. It also hopes to stir some competition among different initiatives in their commitments to religious freedom. The Vatican wants concrete results out of inter-faith dialogue, and is ready to wait to get them. Among Holy See officials and Muslim 138 scholars there is a sense that Catholic-Muslim dialogue is to a great extent a vehicle for intra-Muslim dialogue. The Holy See appreciates the desire of Muslim leaders to promote change within Islam, and seems willing to allow such discussion to take place under the guise of Catholic-Muslim engagement --as long as religious freedom is advanced and inter-faith initiatives are not used to proselytize or describe reality in a distorted manner. End comment. GLENDON