The above was the anguished and rather alarming cry that emanated a
few weeks ago from Cabinet Minister and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader
Rauff Hakeem.
That a minister, of justice at that and the leader of the preeminent
Muslim political party had to make a plea for an end to ethno religious
hate mongering in Sri Lanka was sobering enough. Coming as it does on
the heels of a sustained and systematic low intensity civil assault on
the Muslim community, that has included attacks on mosques and Muslim
owned businesses is alarming. Sri Lanka is just emerging from nearly
three decades of an ethnic based civil war and the signs are ominous
that we seemed to have learned nothing from our past and are hell bent
on starting a new conflict, this one an ethno religious conflict, with religion thrown into the toxic mix.
1. The hate campaign
The new campaign
is spearheaded not overtly by political parties, but organizations led
by religious leaders who seem to draw inspiration from the ruling
alliance and seemingly have the complete backing on the ground of our
politicized police force. It is led by an organization that certainly
faces no opposition from the State, which subsequent to a high profile
meeting with the nation’s head of state successfully pulled off a show
of force in Maharagama,
a week ago. Going according to reports, their meeting most closely
resembled in rhetoric, atmosphere and attitude, the fascist rallies that
swept parts of Europe before the start of the second world war,
complete with attacks on ethno religious minorities for economic
oppression of the majority, attacks on their family size (as if this is
not a free choice available to all), their mode of dress and other
social practices. Strangely reminiscent of exactly what the Nazi’s
said of the Jews in the early part of the last century. Today it falls
on the Muslims, the other descendants of Abraham, to face similar
accusations in Sri Lanka.
2. The Hallal certification
The ostensible irritant is presented as the Hallal
certification that informs Muslim community consumers that products are
compliant with their dietary laws. In much the same way as a Rabbi in
Colombo actually issues Kosher certificates for products that are
exported to Israel and before we explode with anger, let us remember
that Israeli (read Jewish) Kafir jet squadron contributed significantly
to our war victory. What is wrong with Hallal certification or informing
a certain community that products are compliant with their dietary
requirement? Such a basic and inoffensive facility, on commercial terms
should be available in any civilized society, especially one like ours
which values its antiquity and a proud historical record of tolerance
and plurality. Hallal certification should be nothing more than stating
that a product is fat free or lactose free for consumers who are calorie
conscious or allergic to lactose. If there is a fair trade issue, that
matter should firstly be reported to the Consumer Affairs Authority or
the Fair Trading Commission and in the event of unsatisfactory redress
referred for judicial adjudication. It is certainly not an issue for mob
violence and street (in) justice.
3. The Sri Lankan Muslims
The Sri Lankan Muslim Community, a religious and linguistic minority
has been an ancient community in Sri Lanka, now predominating in the
Eastern Province and also scattered throughout the country. An integral
part of Sri Lanka’s cultural mosaic, they have contributed significantly
to Sri Lanka’s national life. Led politically by secular and moderate
leaders, during the ethnic war, they were hounded and brutalized by the
Eelam Tigers, ethnically cleansed them from the North and murdered by
the LTTE
while at prayer in their mosques. Muslims have been an integral part
of Sri Lanka’s war on terror against the LTTE, playing an active part in
military intelligence and the long range reconnaissance patrols
(LLRP)’s that operated deep behind LTTE lines, their native Tamil
language capability an essential requirement for Sri Lanka’s counter
intelligence and covert operations. More strategically though, Muslim
nationalism, if one may call it that, has since the rise of Tamil
militancy, generally sided with the Sri Lankan State and historically
seen Tamil nationalism as a greater threat to its own rights and
freedom, than Sinhala nationalism.
It was a political judgment vindicated by the LTTE’s atrocities against
the Muslim people. It is not in the interest of Sri Lanka’s that
another minority, the Muslim community also become as alienated from the
Sri Lankan State as the Tamil community has become.
Prior to the recent spate of attacks on Muslim mosques and businesses
in Sinhala areas, it was the LTTE in pursuit of an ethnically pure Tamil Eelam
that persecuted and harassed the Muslim community in the North and East
and indeed the Sinhalese in the South. It would now be a great pity if
the current crop of Sinhala ethno religious goon squads, in their
pursuit of a ethnically pure Sinhala Eelam in the South (as opposed to a
multi ethnic, multi religious pluralistic Sri Lanka) was to destroy the
peace and create the tragedy of a new ethno religious conflict, to
replace the ethnic based civil war we ended three years ago. (Colombo Telegraph)
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