Right of Reply: Reply to Navamani – Tamil Daily
Posted on April 23rd, 2016
By A. Abdul Aziz, Press Secretary, AHMADIYYA MUSLIM JAMA’AT – SRI LANKA
On 17th January 2016, a Public Meeting was held, organized by All Ceylon Jammiyathul Ulema (ACJU) at Negombo Jumma Mosque at 4 p.m.
The main speaker was Rizvi Mufthi, President, All Ceylon Jammiyathul Ulema.
The news of this meeting was published in a Tamil Daily ‘Nawamani’ on 19th January 2016, quoting speeches by President, All Ceylon Jammiyathul Ulema (ACJU).
As a newspaper, it cannot publish such a matter harming certain section of the people. We complained to Press Complaints Commission of Sri Lanka (PCCSL).
We prepared a response and sent to the Editor, Nawamani on 15 February 2016. In our reply we informed to the President, ACJU that no man has the right to decide who is Muslim, who is not; similarly this right is not given to any country or any organization, whereas God only has such power to decide, our reply says.
Our response further quoted a saying of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) which reads: Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said, “Whoever prays like us and faces our Qibla and eats our slaughtered animals is a Muslim and is under Allah’s and His Apostle’s protection. So do not betray Allah by betraying those who are in His protection.” (Sahih-al-Bukhari)
Our response also quoted writings of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, in which he says: We admonish our Jama’at (community) that they must adhere tenaciously to the fundamental article of Islamic faith, ‘There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is His Messenger’ as long as they live and they should die holding fast to the same belief. Also they must have firm faith in all the Messengers of Allah and revealed books which have been authenticated by the Holy Quran. They should abide strictly observe Prayers and Fast, pay Zakat and perform the Hajj (pilgrimage). They should observe Islam by fully complying with all the injunctions, obligations and prohibitions pronounced by God and his Messenger. In short, all such matters, be they beliefs or deeds, on which there was consensus of opinion among our righteous predecessors and as are understood to be Islam by the general consensus of opinion of those who follow the traditions of the Holy Prophet of Islam, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, should be complied with as being obligatory. We call to witness the Heaven and the Earth, that exactly is our Faith” (Ayyamus Sulh 1st Edition: Roohani Khazain Vol.14; p; 323.)
As the reply was not published we took this issue to Press Complaints Commission of Sri Lanka (PCCSL). In our letter to PCCSL, we said: …………Respected Sir, in this particular newspaper another news published as the gist of address by Honorable Minister Rishad Badudin on that particular event in which ACJU addressed against our Community (Page 8 – copy attached). Furthermore, the said newspaper published another feature article on 29 January 2016 (page13) in which ACJU President’s address on that particular event is seen. Sir, this is not the first time this NAVAMANI newspaper published news and views against our Community. Let me attach another full page article published on 3 September 2015, at page 06, in which they insulted our Community so much by providing wrong information (copy attached). If a newspaper publish any news and views against any community or person in such a manner – insulting or giving wrong opinion – or being a source of misguiding readers – it is the responsibility of the affected to complain to Press Complaint Commission of Sri Lanka. Based on this, we once again to draw your valuable attention towards this matter and request you to ask NAVAMANI to publish our response, sent to them dated 15/02/2016 by Registered Post (the copy attached). Respected Sir, we are a world-wide community under one leadership – spreading in 207 countries with a population of 220 million around the globe. In the end, we hope PCCSL will not allow anyone to publish anything via printing media – news and comments of insulting others – such hurting the feelings of others. Really the publications of news and views of NAVAMANI (attached) against our Community – Ahmadiyya Muslim Community being a source of hurting the feelings of us – the Community which celebrated its Centenary of establishment in Sri Lanka last year (2015)……………….”
PCCSL gave the Editor, Navamani 31 March 2016 as deadline. The said newspaper did not comply the instructions of PCCSL till the end of March 2016.
April 23rd, 2016 at 9:18 pm
Tamils, not Muslims, are the terrorists and extremists of Sri Lanka. The concerted Tamil racist attempt to merge Muslim majority and relatively peaceful East with racist and violent north must be stopped at all cost.