Dissolve The Impotent SLMC
Dr. Ameer Ali
I wrote this before (Colombo Telegraph, 10 September 2013) and I am writing it again that the Muslim politicians in Sri Lanka, particularly of the SLMC variety are a bane and shame to their community. There is a limit even for an abject slave to bear physical torture and mental humiliation from the master, but this bunch of slaves seems to have limitless power of endurance. Otherwise how does one explain their continued partnership with a government that remains totally immune to all the torture, destruction and humiliation brought upon the Muslim community by a gang of BBS thugs clad in saffron robes? Of what use is the SLMC stalwarts’ muted protest if the President continues to ignore them? It is obvious that in the interest of their own positions, prestige and perks and in order to protect themselves from the wrath of the President and possible prosecution against corruption and illegitimate wealth these guys will continue to hang on until the entire government is thrown out by the people.
Hakeem
It is in the interest of the nation and the Muslim community to dissolve and deregister the SLMC as a political party and for Muslims to look for an alternative path to choose their parliamentary leaders. The country has still not lost all its talented and unbiased politicians who can work for the welfare of their voters and nation at large irrespective of cast, creed or language. At the next possible opportunity of electing their representatives Muslim voters should totally shun SLMC candidates.Muslims of Sri Lanka have been betrayed by these nincompoops. Because the SLMC claims to represent the Muslim community non-Muslim parliamentarians have conveniently and understandably passed the buck of voicing Muslim concern to the SLMC bunch. A Buddhist Sinhalese or even a Tamil parliamentarian had he or she been elected by Muslim voters would have, in the current circumstances, confronted the government more forcefully and publicly rallied the support of Buddhists and Tamils on behalf of Muslims than what the SLMC gang has done so far. What a tragedy! Muslim voters have been fooled by the SLMC business-politicians. By bringing in ethnicity and religion into Muslim politics and by arrogating to themselves the monopoly of representing the Muslims SLMC has wantonly damaged the community’s historic political image of pragmatism.
It is in the interest of the nation and the Muslim community to dissolve and deregister the SLMC as a political party and for Muslims to look for an alternative path to choose their parliamentary leaders. The country has still not lost all its talented and unbiased politicians who can work for the welfare of their voters and nation at large irrespective of cast, creed or language. At the next possible opportunity of electing their representatives Muslim voters should totally shun SLMC candidates.Muslims of Sri Lanka have been betrayed by these nincompoops. Because the SLMC claims to represent the Muslim community non-Muslim parliamentarians have conveniently and understandably passed the buck of voicing Muslim concern to the SLMC bunch. A Buddhist Sinhalese or even a Tamil parliamentarian had he or she been elected by Muslim voters would have, in the current circumstances, confronted the government more forcefully and publicly rallied the support of Buddhists and Tamils on behalf of Muslims than what the SLMC gang has done so far. What a tragedy! Muslim voters have been fooled by the SLMC business-politicians. By bringing in ethnicity and religion into Muslim politics and by arrogating to themselves the monopoly of representing the Muslims SLMC has wantonly damaged the community’s historic political image of pragmatism.
*Ameer Ali, Murdoch University, Western Australia
