Gota’s statement worrying to the Muslims

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Created On Friday, 06 September 2013 06:34

Category: General

The Muslim community in the country have expressed concern over the comments made by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa where he had said the government was on alert over attempts to spread Muslim extremism in Sri Lanka.

The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka (MCSL) has said that the Muslim community has without any hesitation stood by the Sri Lankan State throughout the 30 year conflict and has never resorted to any form of armed resistance.

MCSL has noted that the extremist elements that have been propagating hatred against the minority communities have taken Rajapaksa’s statement as an endorsement of the State’s approval of their stand on extremism amongst the Muslim community.

“We wish to bring to your kind attention that there exists no form of armed or other forms of extremism amongst the Muslim community. Your concerns about extremists using Sri Lanka as a transit point may be valid, but we would like to assure you that the Muslim community would never allow extremists from other countries to operate under cover of the Muslim community in Sri Lanka,” the MCSL has stated.

It has also said that intelligence units under the Defence Secretary’s command have performed remarkably well during and after the war to ensure that Sri Lanka continues to maintain the hard earned peace.

“We welcome any investigation by the law enforcement agencies and take appropriate action against any persons who may violate the laws of the land or support any form of armed extremism irrespective of their religious beliefs. We would like to assure you of the Muslim community’s unstinted commitment to the peace and prosperity of our beloved motherland and would greatly appreciate your kind clarification of your statement,” the MCSL has observed.

Sri Lanka Muslim leader warns against extremism claims

Friday, 06 September 2013

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's main Muslim political leader, who is also the justice minister, criticised his own government Friday for blaming religious tensions in the mainly Buddhist nation on Islamic fundamentalism.

Rauf Hakeem said he had been "disturbed" by recent comments from the country's defence minister, Gotabhaya Rajapakse which warned of efforts to "promote Muslim extremism" in Sri Lanka.

"We are extremely disturbed by the specific reference to the Muslim community of Sri Lanka as possible breeding grounds of extremism within the country," Hakeem said in a statement.

"I would like to publicly contradict the assertion of the Secretary of Defence," Hakeem said in an unusual public outburst against Gotabhaya Rajapakse, who is the younger brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse.

Seventy percent of Sri Lanka's 20-million-strong population are Buddhists, while Muslims are the second-largest religious group, making up just under 10 percent. 

There had been an increase in attacks against mosques and Muslim-owned business and their lifestyle since last year, heightening religious tensions on the island.

Much of the violence had been blamed on new Buddhist hardline groups allegedly drawing support from the authorities.

Gotabhaya Rajapakse, one of the country's most powerful figures who is credited with crushing Tamil Tiger separatists in a military offensive in 2009, has denied supporting hardline Sinhalese-Buddhist groups.

However, at a seminar hosted by the military on Tuesday he said: "One of the consequences of the increasing insularity amongst minority ethnic groups is the emergence of hardline groups within the majority Sinhala-Buddhist community."

"It is a known fact that Muslim fundamentalism is spreading all over the world and in this region," Rajapakse said. 

"The possibility that such extremist elements may try to promote Muslim extremism in Sri Lanka is a cause for concern."

Hakeem, whose Sri Lanka Muslim Congress is a partner in Rajapakse's ruling coalition, warned that Sri Lanka may be antagonising Islamic nations by making generalised statements about Muslim fundamentalism.

He said Iran, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had been strong allies of the Colombo government when it faced allegations of war crimes at the UN Human Rights Council.

Hakeem warned Rajapakse not to interfere with religion and culture and leave it in the hands of the respective people "as in the case of all enlightened democracies".  (AFP)