The Obama Administration secretly sent staff to Melbourne last week to ask religious leaders about winning hearts and minds in the Muslim world. The State Department’s head of religious freedom, Peter Kovach, White House religion expert Mara Vanderslice and a Gulf states policy planning head arrived at the Parliament of the World’s Religions unexpectedly and asked to meet delegates, senior parliament staffer Tim Mannatt confirmed last night.

Mr Mannatt said there was a private meeting on Monday afternoon with a small group of interfaith leaders the staffers invited and a larger meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

This one involved about 100 leaders from most of the religions at the parliament. Reports indicate that the doors were shut and guarded and the usual sign outside the room was absent.

One of the Muslims, leading American imam Abdul Feisal Rauf, said the Administration staffers were looking for input and advice, and were extremely well received by delegates.

”It was a great indicator of hope, and an important part of the parliament,” he said. ”Their position was ‘we are here to learn from you’. They asked three questions: what should the Obama Administration do, what should it not do, and have you any immediate or long-term suggestions. They just listened and took notes.”

Imam Rauf said he told the trio that religion was an extremely important part of the solution. Because the US formally separated church and state, it tended not to look at religion in its foreign policy.

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