Unless Sinhalese Extremists Are Brought To Book All Talks Of Peace Will Remain Dreams
By Latheef Farook – September 18, 2013
Latheef Farook
Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s statement on what he described as the “emergence of Muslim extremism” has shocked and dismayed the island’s besieged and helpless Muslim community.
Addressing a defense seminar at Galadari Hotel on Tuesday 3 September Mr.Gotabaya Rajapaksa stated that the country was faced with an uphill task of tackling Sinhala hardliners as well as Muslim extremists. He added that “it has been observed that there are some foreign groups that wish to encourage Sri Lankan Muslims to identify themselves more with the global Muslim community, thereby reducing their integration with the rest of the population. It is a known fact that Muslim fundamentalism is spreading all over the world and in this region”.
Sinhala extremists playing havoc in the country with official patronage is common knowledge. However the question is who are these Muslim extremists? According to Muslims of all walks of life extremism is nonexistent among them and such allegations only serve to encourage Sinhalese extremist elements to continue their mayhem pitting Sinhalese against Muslims.
Defense secretary’s statement comes at a time when Sinhalese extremists spearhead an extremely dangerous campaign demonizing Islam and Muslims, attack mosques, religious schools, Muslim shrines, Muslim owned business establishments, forces Muslim students to worship Sinhalese teachers in predominantly Sinhalese schools and many such crimes causing fear and insecurity among Muslims.
The island’s Muslim community, as once pointed out by former Chief Justice Sarath N Silva, has been the most peaceful of all the three communities. However they suffered a great deal due to racism of the two major communities. Muslims did not come yesterday on visit visas to Sri Lanka .They have been integral part of the island’s society ever since they settled down as peaceful traders more than 1000 years ago.
