News

Select a news topic from the list below, then select a news article to read.

Gnanasara Thero Once Again Inciting Sinhalese Against Muslims

Malicious campaign pushing discriminated and frustrated Muslims to wall

Few weeks ago Ven Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thero, known for inciting Sinhalese and unleashing violence against Muslims, said he would dissolve his organisation Bodu Bala Sena as it has achieved its target of setting up a Sinhala Buddhist government without minority support.

Latheef Farook

Following the election of the present government to power on 15 November 2019, he was rather quiet. Now that the parliamentary election is forthcoming, he has started his campaign once again pitting the Sinhalese against Muslims.There were reports that during the presidential elections in November 2019 Buddhist monks and temples were used to demonize Muslims to win Sinhala votes assuring security.

As part of this campaign to win Sinhala votes, he attempted to brand as extremist, several main stream Muslim Organisations and institutions numbering a colossal 42 including the prestigious Jaamia Naleemia Academy at Beruwala, the radiating centre of scholarly knowledge! A case of the ‘black pot’ calling the ‘silver kettle’, Black! This comes at a time when the island’s Muslim community remains deeply wounded following a decade of unchecked anti-Muslim propaganda and violence.

It is common knowledge that during the ethnic war Muslims also suffered only because they refused to support the LTTE can for the division of the country. The entire Muslim population in the North and North East were kicked out within hours by the LTTE .Their belongings were looted and they ended up in refugee camps only with Rs 150. In the East, Muslims were massacred in mosques, their lands grabbed and livelihood deprived by the LTTE.

Once the war ended in May 2009, Muslims resumed their normal life.

However their hopes were shattered when there began a wave of well-planned violent attacks. This campaign, began with the destruction of a 400 year old Muslim shrine in Anuradhapura, followed by attacks on Dambulla and other mosques. There were attacks on Muslim owned businesses, allegations that doctors were trying to sterilize women in government hospitals, pressurising Muslim children to kneel down and worship teachers, demonstrations carrying photos of pigs with Allah’s name on it, arson attacks on Muslim owned textile and other outlets and shops, and a sinister campaign against Muslim women covering faces and wearing hijab. Attackers were widely known to be supported by Norwegian indoctrinated anti-Muslim monks and their side kicks.

In many public meetings monks openly incited Sinhalese against Muslims and asked Sinhalese to boycott Muslim businesses. In Kurunegala, those who purchased from Muslims shops were attacked with rotten eggs. Of course these were the ugly works of a few extremists turned violent extremists.

The government’s indifference and the indulgence of the police from taking offenders to task, drove terror into Muslims who spent sleepless nights.

The situation was so precarious that Ven. Galkande Dhammananda Thero, a lecturer at Kelaniya University told that; “political and social problems need to be solved amicably through dialogue which as monks we have repeatedly failed from time of the independence. Now we are again on the eve of another round of violence. I fear any time a ‘black July’ will repeat and this time it is against Muslims”.

These hooligans are suspected to have been trained by Israel’s intelligence agent Mossad and funded by Israel through Norway and their mission in New Delhi as part of its on-going global agenda against Islam and Muslims.

Time and again I wrote about the dangers of opening up the country to Israel and India’s RSS fascists. Most Sri Lankan are not aware that Israel is a cruel entity planted by British and French imperial powers in the Middle-East and later joined by the US and former Soviet Union. The tribal aims of the RSS and its deceptive front Bharathiya Janatha Party are to persecute the Muslim population in India and turn India into a Hindu raj.

Israel and RSS operate together to destabilize the region. When Sri Lanka opened the doors to these forces the two, as expected are working to split the unity of the Sinhalese and Muslims.

Muslims expected their parliamentarians to raise their problem. They refused fearing it would jeopardize their positions and perks. It was TNA parliamentarians R Sampanthan and Sumanthiran raised the agony the Muslim community.

In the midst, presidential election was called for 5 December 2015. Presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena promising to ensure Muslims’ safety, most Muslims voted for him. However dashing all hopes anti-Muslim violence continued under Maithri Ranil government with senseless attacks on Muslims in Gintota followed by Digana, Akurana and Amparai.

These attacks climaxed in the Easter Sunday massacre involving a few Muslim lunatics carefully screened and selected, funded by the plotters to put blame on the entire Muslim community, demonize and unleash violence against them. Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has blamed foreign hands behind the Easter Sunday attacks executed by a handful of radicalized Muslim youths.

Muslim community has nothing to do with this carnage. The authorities were informed of the bombings by several Muslim organizations and individuals providing names of the individuals involved. It was the then government that failed to act. Muslims paid the price. Innocent Muslims are continuing to be harassed and some persecuted.

Not only hospital security but even shops and super markets forced Muslim women to remove face covers and traditional shawls besides other atrocities. Security forces entered Mosques with their boots on marching in with snifer dogs.

If we are to go by Professor Rajan Hoole’s book “Sri Lanka’s Easter Tragedy-WHEN THE DEEP STATE GETS OUT OF ITS DEPTH” the ultimate target is to demonize and deprive Muslims of their rights and turn them into a state of stateless people as the government did in 1948 to estate workers of Indian origin in Sri Lanka.

And now comes the multi-faceted anti-Muslim campaign using Gnanasara Thero to demonize and terrorize Muslims. Recently he described Naleemiya Institute as preaching extremism and described great respected Islamic scholar Yousuf Qarlawi as preaching hatred.

These allegations were deliberate distortions aimed at poisoning Sinhalese minds. A statement issued by the Egyptian diplomatic mission in Colombo also described Yousef Qarlawi as a heat preacher and Islamic Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.

This is the Zionist language spoken by the diplomatic mission of the regime in Egypt in Colombo, a regime which was installed in power, after toppling the first ever democratically elected government of President Muhammed Morsi .President Morsi’s government was forcibly crushed and toppled by the present Egyptian dictator. He was detained in solitary confinement under miserable conditions in prison where the peoples’ president died while the military might was used all throughout to subjugate the heroic people of Egypt who threw out earlier on Hosni Mubarak, another in the long line of Egyptian dictators, surviving on the US-Israeli military axis.

One should not forget the Israelis openly admitted that they got their shameless Saudi, Abu Dhabi and Kuwaiti stooges to spend eleven billion dollars to create artificial shortages of food and fuel to justify a military coup, killing thousands of innocent Morsi’s supporters, some inside mosques, to topple Morsi’s democratic government.

Thus one cannot expect any good word for Qarlawi or Hassanul Banna’s Muslim Brotherhood from plotters and killers and their diplomatic missions.

Meanwhile the current wave of anti-Muslim campaign to win Sinhala votes is certainly not in the interest of the country.

The island’s Muslim community, was described by former Chief Justice Sarah N Silva as the most peaceful of the three communities. Reiterating this former Chief of Staff, Admiral R. Wijeguneratne said during the meeting of Cabinet of ministers to discuss the arson attacks on the Muslim community in Teldeniya, Kandy and Ampara by organised gang of Sinhalese extremists that the Muslims did not deserve to be treated in such a manner that” we are “alive today because of brave Muslim officers”.

Corrupt Muslim politicians and sell out self-declared religious leaders do not represent the Muslim community. Sandwiched between these two forces and the ongoing anti-Muslim campaign Muslim community remains helpless and voiceless.

They are very angry at racist politics and their media associating violence with Islam and Muslims. The refusal to allow Muslim corona victims a decent burial, despatching a high powered task force to Pottuvil where Muslims lands were forcefully surveyed in the presence of the armed forces have caused deep concern among Muslims.

Thus marginalising a community as a whole is not a healthy sign for the future of a nation which is multi-racial, multi religious, multi lingual and multi-cultural. Country is in deep economic trouble. Ethnic and racist politics will convert the country into a fools’ paradise!

It is also worthy to note that fighting against injustice and insults is an obligation on all Muslims. Under such circumstance continuing malicious campaign demonising them is certainly not going to serve the country.

Despite all the death, destruction and sufferings during the past few decades due to racist politics, average Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and all others wanted to live in peace and harmony as did for centuries.

Sri Lanka was a shining example for political and economic stability, communal harmony and peace during the time of independence in 1948. Unfortunately racist politics turned the island today into one of the most mismanaged countries facing political instability, collapsing economy and communities divided to the detriment of all.

The irony is this happens at a time when the corona virus which has devastated the world is also playing havoc with downturn in economy, people losing jobs, salary cuts and many such issues which have all the ingredients to devastate the deeply debt ridden country.

Isn’t it time to resist this re-introduced anti-Muslim campaign?

http://latheeffarook.net/gnanasara-thero-once-again-inciting-sinhalese-against-muslims/?fbclid=IwAR0awlQcwJqkXDwwXJRLAyYVM5WLQwdNnkuCp9oryPjYTKSlzndEFTNMBrE

Hejaaz: A lawyer for all seasons

A year has passed since the deadly Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka. Victims, survivors, and the general public still await answers. Amidst these desperate demands for accountability, Hejaaz Hizbullah, a prominent Muslim lawyer, is suddenly – and most unexpectedly – arrested and detained.

I met Hejaaz during the first-ever debating tournament I participated in. He led the team from S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, and I represented St. Joseph’s College, Colombo. Our teams made it to the finals that year. I recall Hejaaz as a fierce competitor with the rare gift for conveying an argument with charisma and conviction. He also had a great sense of humour, taking friendly banter in good spirit. The Thomians triumphed that year, and deservedly so.

What strikes me now is that five of the eight young debaters that day went on to become lawyers. We had found our community: the legal fraternity.

A few years later, I encountered Hejaaz again. It was in the first ever case I argued before the Court of Appeal. Hejaaz represented the State, and I represented certain public officers seeking promotions. I recall his keen knowledge of the law, and his outstanding skills in advocacy. But on this occasion, I also encountered another side to him. He was not just interested in winning an argument. I detected in him a deeper commitment to justice. He did not see himself merely as a representative of the State; he saw himself as an officer of justice.

This commitment to justice has defined Hejaaz’s legal career. After leaving the Attorney-General’s Department, he entered the private bar. He became a tenacious defender and champion of the Sri Lankan Constitution, and an outspoken representative of victims of hate and violence.

Most importantly, he has been a leading voice against violent extremism on all sides. Hejaaz has consistently stood against inter-religious and inter-ethnic hatred and violence in all its forms.

In the days that followed the Easter Sunday attacks, Hejaaz was among the first to publicly condemn the heinous crimes. He called for the rejection of hatred to ‘confirm that the attackers are fools who died as fools’. He has since taken an active role in promoting reconciliation and coexistence among communities in Sri Lanka.

In the last few weeks, we have witnessed a cruel irony: a lawyer who stood up against violent extremism is being maligned as an ‘extremist’ in the ‘court’ of public opinion. It is unconscionable that an officer of the court is now being deprived of his basic right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. He is yet to be produced before a judge, and is yet to be given meaningful access to his lawyers.

Even before a judge has had the opportunity to examine Hejaaz (let alone make an order with regard to his case), he is being pronounced ‘guilty’ through a vicious and prejudicial media narrative against him.

If indeed Hejaaz is on trial by public opinion, let us consider some facts that emerge from his fundamental rights petition before the Supreme Court. These facts are rarely featured in this prejudicial narrative.

Hejaaz has been at the forefront of defending democracy and peace in Sri Lanka. Recall that the country was thrust into a constitutional crisis in October 2018. Hejaaz was the lawyer who represented Election Commissioner Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole before the Supreme Court in the case concerning the unlawful dissolution of Parliament. He was among the leading lawyers who convinced the Court that the President’s actions were unconstitutional. The rest is history. We owe an irreparable debt of gratitude to Hejaaz; his work helped preserve Sri Lanka’s fragile constitutional democracy.

Hejaaz has also appeared in scores of court cases concerning Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera. He is the lawyer in Fundamental Rights applications that deal with alleged hate speech by this Buddhist clergyman, and the 2014 Aluthgama violence. Hejaaz is also the lawyer in a defamation case against Ven. Gnanasara Thera.

When you think of ‘Hejaaz Hizbullah, Attorney-at-Law,’ do not uncritically accept the picture that is painted of him in the media. Ask yourself if this picture bears any resemblance to what we know of him. He is the lawyer who represented an Election Commissioner in one of the most important cases in our country’s constitutional history. He is the lawyer who has fearlessly defended victims of hatred and violence in numerous cases. He is the lawyer who tirelessly stood against violent extremism by confronting powerful and influential people.

Once we put Hejaaz’s arrest and detention in its proper context, we begin to see it for what it really is: an indecent assault on one of the legal profession’s finest. A crude punishment – not for engaging in extremism, but for working against it. His is not just a case concerning the unjust treatment of an individual with strong political opponents. It is the culmination of a tectonic shift in Sri Lanka: where extremists are pardoned, and voices against extremism are jailed.

Hejaaz Hizbullah is part of a profession that I count myself privileged to be a member of. He is part of the reason I, like many others who encountered him in our youth, decided to join this profession. He is, and always will be, part of the reason many more will join it.

http://www.ft.lk/columns/Hejaaz-A-lawyer-for-all-seasons/4-699988

Muslim writer in jail for 60 days without "explicit evidence"

A group of activists in Sri Lanka has called upon the government for the unconditional release of a Muslim writer who has been held in detention for more than
sixty days without “explicit evidence being produced”.

In a letter to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim activists say that Ramzy Razeek arrested on April 09 for allegedly violating the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Cyber Crimes Legislation has also been denied medical treatment and legal access in detention.

“Despite orders from the Magistrate to allow him access to medicine, reliable sources state that his health condition is deteriorating due to lack of access to specific medicines of which he is in dire need. A lawyer attempting to visit Razeek this week, was also denied access at the Colombo Remand Prison, citing the COVID-19 virus,” says the letter addressed to HRCSL Chair Deepika Udagama.

Ramzy Razeek, a retired government official was arrested over a post in early April, in which he calls for an ‘ideological Jihad (struggle)’ against all forms of fundamentalisms and racism persecuting the Sri Lankan Muslims as a community.

Two days later, Razeek had posted again to note that he had received countless death threats as a result of his post, and that many had misconstrued his words, calling for him to be jailed for propagating racist ideas.

The activists’ letter highlights that Razeek who has a history of critiquing Muslim fundamentalism and racism in Sri Lanka, very specifically states in his post that he is proposing a struggle of ideas and intellect to question and counter the attacks against progressive Muslims from outside, as well within the Muslim community.

In September 2019 HRCSL had issued a letter to the Sri Lanka Police regarding the lack of legal clarity and discriminate application of the ICCPR Act, and clarifying the legal scope of the offence, including the level of severity that was required for an arrest.

The ICCPR, meant to hold accountable those who incite violence, has since recently been weaponised by the State against those who critique the State and/or its policies, says the letter by activists to HRCSL.

“Those who actively disseminate misinformation, incite ethnic and religious hatred and violence, and engage in cyberbullying, predominantly against ethnic and religious minority communities, continue to enjoy impunity and political patronage. Meanwhile, those who critique this violence, are persecuted for their words.”

Local and international rights bodies have repeatedly raised their concern about misusing the ICCPR act. It was used to detain award winning writer Shakthika Sathkumara for more than four months during the last government backed by many civil activists.

Copies of the letter had been sent to opposition leaders of the dissolved parliament as well as UN officials at home and abroad.

https://english.theleader.lk/news/772-muslim-writer-in-jail-for-60-days-without-explicit-evidence?fbclid=IwAR0dxnQEFd0iMeNLD0hhv6sHxT-cZzuoc-bxXf-RnZqEi06h3Tf14GpdQX4

அடையாள அணிவகுப்புக்கு முன் ஹிஜாஸின் அடையாளத்தைக் காட்ட சிஐடியினர் முயற்சித்தார்கள்

இரு சிறுவர்களிடமிருந்தும் வாக்குமூலம் பெறுவதற்கு முன்னர் சிஐடியினர் தனது அறையில் வைத்து ஹிஜாஸ் ஹிஸ்புல்லாஹ்வின் புகைப்படத்தை அவர்களுக்குக் காண்பிப்பதற்கு முயற்சித்தார்கள் என கோட்டை நீதவான் ரங்க திசாநாயக்க தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

புத்தளம் மத்ரஸாவொன்றின் மாணவர்களுக்கு தீவிரவாதத்தைப் போதித்தார் என சிஐடியினர் முன்வைத்த அறிக்கையின் அடிப்படையில் 10 சிறுவர்களுக்கு முன்னால் ஹிஜாஸ் ஹிஸ்புல்லாஹ்வை அடையாளம் காட்டுவதற்கான அடையாள அணிவகுப்பொன்றை 24 ஆம் திகதி நடத்துவதற்கு கோட்டை நீதவான் உத்தரவிட்டிருந்தார். அதற்கமைய அழைத்துவரப்பட்ட சிறுவர்கள் இருவரிடமே சிஐடியினர் ஹிஜாஸை அடையாளம் காட்டக் கூடிய புகைப்படத்தை அடையாள அணிவகுப்புக்கு முன்னர் காட்டியுள்ளனர்.

இதனை நான் வெளிப்படுத்தத்தான் வேண்டும். சிஐடி அதிகாரிகள் எனது அறையில் வைத்து புகைப்படத்தைக் காட்டினார்கள். நான் அவர்களை வெளியேறச் சொல்ல நேர்ந்தது என கோட்டை நீதவான் மன்றுக்கு வெளியில் தெரிவித்தார்.

சட்டத்தரணி ஹிஜாஸ் ஹிஸ்புல்லாஹ்வின் சார்பில் ஜனாதிபதி சட்டத்தரணி நவரத்ன பண்டார தலைமையில் ஆஜராகிய ஹர்ஷன நாணயக்கார, ஹபீல் பாரிஸ் உட்பட்ட சட்டத்தரணிகள் குழுவினர், அடையாள அணிவகுப்பை கடுமையாக எதிர்த்தனர். ஹிஸ்புல்லாஹ்வை அடையாளம் காட்டுவதற்கு சிறுவர்கள் வற்புறுத்தப்பட்டதாகக் கூறிய இவர்கள், ஒரு சட்டவிரோத செயற்பாட்டை சட்டபூர்வமாக்குவதற்கான போலியான செயற்பாடே இந்த அடையாள அணிவகுப்பு எனத் தெரிவித்தனர். ஹிஜாஸின் புகைப்படம் ஏற்கனவே ஊடகங்கள் வாயிலாக அணிவகுக்கப்பட்டுள்ள சூழலில் இந்த அடையாள அணிவகுப்பு சட்டவிரோதமானது எனவும் அவர்கள் வாதிட்டனர்.

தாம் சித்திரவதைக்கும் பலாத்காரத்துக்கும் உள்ளாக்கப்பட்டதாக உயர்நீதிமன்றத்தில் அடிப்படை உரிமை மீறல் வழக்கைத் தாக்கல் செய்துள்ள மூன்று சிறுவர்கள் சார்பில் ஆஜராகிய சட்டத்தரணி நுவன் போபகே, சிஐடி அடையாள அணிவகுப்பை நடத்த முயற்சிப்பது உயர்நீதிமன்றத்தில் தங்களைப் பாதுகாத்துக் கொள்வதற்கே எனத் தெரிவித்தார்.

சட்டத்தரணிகளின் வாதங்களைக் கேட்டறிந்ததன் பின்னர் கோட்டை நீதவான் ரங்க திசாநாயக்க அடையாள அணிவகுப்பை ரத்து செய்தார்.

http://meelparvai.net/?p=25579&fbclid=IwAR2nyGXoCKIN20__ibcKfKwJu_uog1FilIO0vPb4kA6aP2kB3s-N5SDCjl8

CID attempted to show photograph of Hejaaz to children before ID parade: Fort Magistrate

Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayaka said in open court that officers of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) had attempted to show photographs of Hejaaz Hizbullah at his chambers prior to the recording of statements from two children.

When the matter was taken up before Dissanayake on 24 June, he told Hizbullah’s lawyers that prior to the recording of the statements from the two children, this attempt had been made: “I want to reveal this. The CID officers tried to show pictures and I had to tell them to leave the Chamber.”

Two children had made “voluntary statements” on 12 May to the Magistrate on camera regarding Hizbullah. An identification parade was to be held including Hizbullah with 10 children being summoned as witnesses to identify Hizbullah.

Nawarathna Bandara PC, appearing with Harshana Nanayakkara, Hafeel Farisz, and a team of lawyers for Hizbullah, strenuously objected to the identification parade. They told Court that the children had been coerced by the CID officers to identify Hizbullah, and the parade was a sham exercise to “legitimise an illegal process.”

They said that pictures of Hizbullah were paraded over media throughout with the alleged offences, and the holding of the parade in these circumstances was illegal.

Nuwan Bopage, appearing for three of the children who had filed Fundamental Rights applications before the Supreme Court alleging torture and coercion, said that the attempt by the CID to hold an identification parade was in order to have a defence in the Supreme Court.

Bopage said that the fact that the CID decided to suddenly make an application for a parade reeks of malice.

Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris, appearing for the Attorney General’s Department asked Counsel for Hizbullah as to why they are objecting to the parade so vehemently.

In response, Nawarathna Bandara PC told Court that Section 18 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act has a provision in which the Parade could be admitted as evidence without cross-examination, and the reason for insisting on holding the parade was to use the provision.

Peiris also told court that the children who had filed Fundamental Rights applications alleging torture filed the Fundamental Rights petitions at the insistence of an “organised gang” in order to incriminate the CID.

Bopage, in response, said that it was he who visited the children’s house after receiving instructions of the illegal activities of the CID.

“I went there personally, and was present when they signed the affidavits and made complaints. Lies of this sort should not be perpetuated by the State,” he said. Having heard the submissions which took over two hours, Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake revoked his order and cancelled the holding of the Parade.

http://www.ft.lk/news/CID-attempted-to-show-photograph-of-Hejaaz-to-children-before-ID-parade-Fort-Magistrate/56-702226?fbclid=IwAR1r7XVJTqbBERo8krf1xk8w1Uc80xNx7YceTNd9LgrUquBxA8N0v3_plPc#.XvVd0LbohnE.facebook