WHERE WERE THESE MUSLIM LEADERS DURING THE LAST THREE DECADES?
Posted on March 16th, 2012
Malin Abeyatunge
TodayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Daily News (15/3/2012) reports that some Muslim leaders have lashed out at LTTE terrorism. Though itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s coming from the horses mouth, it is still ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ too late for the UNHRC to know how the LTTEƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ treated Muslims- another minority community in Sri Lankan conflict. When Muslims were evacuated from Jaffna within 24 hours by LTTE, the so called Muslim leaders never uttered a word against LTTEƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and the poor Muslim people were totally left betrayed.
When the LTTE startedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ethnic cleansing of Muslims and Sinhalese villagers, Muslim leaders kept mum whilst the Sinhale leaders, journalists, Sinhala Diaspora continued to lambaste LTTE atrocities and disseminated accurate information to the authorities of various countries without any moral support from the Muslim community. There was no voice heard neither from the Muslim Leaders in Sri Lanka nor among the Muslims among the Sri Lankan Diaspora on the LTTE atrocities on Muslim population specially in the East. The Muslim leaders in the subject reportƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ quote many incidents of atrocities committed on Muslims in the North and East but there was no one to speak for them except the Sinhalese people.
When LTTE attacked the Muslims praying in a mosque in Kattankudi killing over hundred and maimingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ around 200ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Muslim prayers, Muslim leaders never uttered a word of condemnation against LTTE nor did they attempt to bring it to the notice of the international community and the so called human right activists. Adding insult to injury, one of the accepted Muslim politician Rauff Hakkem even embraced LTTE megalomaniac Prabhakaran and showed his solidarity in front of the LTTE flag. Thus, Muslim leaders have shirked their responsibility toward the Muslim community over the years.
Suffice to mention here that itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s the Sinhale youth who sacrificed there lives to destroy LTTE militarily to bring freedom from terror for all communities including the Muslim Community in the Eastern province except for a handful of few patriotic Muslim officers in the tri forces who sacrificed their lives for Sri Lanka. The Lashing out at LTTE at this moment with only 4 days to go where the USA led westerners trying to pin Sri Lanka for war crimes has come rather late which will have no impact on the current issue.
It was reported that the Tamil Diaspora had submitted a memorandum to Ms Navee Pillai of UNHRC which she has alleged to have accepted ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ it andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ most certainly she would support the LTTE Diaspora as happened in 2010. What these Muslim leaders should have done was to submit a memorandum to Navee Pillai quoting all the atrocities committed by the LTTE on Muslims and demand that LTTE is brought against the ICC for war crimes and not Sri Lanka who savedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka from the grips of LTTE brutal terrorists.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Where were these Muslim leaders when their own poor villages were killed in hundreds by LTTE? Not a hum. Looks as if they were in slumber. The horse has already bolted the stableƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and nothing can be plugged or locked up now. The lashing out at LTTE by Muslim leaders has come very late.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Malin Abeyatunge
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March 16th, 2012 at 3:32 pm
I disagree.
This move by Muslim leaders is MOST WELCOME.
They ALWAYS supported successive govts during war.
When Ranil signed that disastrous CFA, they (led by Athaulla) left the govt making it a minority govt in 2002.
It was a GREAT Muslim leader from the UNP who PERSONALLY transported Karuna to safety. That was a game changer.
Of course there are mad NUTS like Hack-him who supported the LTTE but most of them are good people.
One reason for the silence was the threat they faced from the LTTE. They didn’t want LUNATIC LTTE to further attack Muslims in the east. It was due to fear which is understandable. The famous Buddhist monk trapped in Kilinochchi temple didn’t criticise the LTTE during his house arrest that lasted for decades. He only criticised the LTTE AFTER he was saved by the army.
Muslims have shown they BELONG to SL by a massive protest against the US resolution.
I’m ashamed to admit Christians and Hindus have FAILED so far as communities to show such solidarity.
If you don’t defend your country, your country will not defend you.
March 16th, 2012 at 6:47 pm
We need the help of Islamic nations in UNHRC. Sri Lanka always been friends with Islamic nations, our bond last more than thousand years. I am glad Sri Lankan Muslims have come out in tens thousand to support the nation.
Our diplomats must approach Muslim nations in this hour of need. Out of 47 countries in UNHRC, there are 14 Muslim majority nations with close ties to Sri Lanka. We need all of them to support Sri Lanka. Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Libya, Djibouti, Burkina Faso, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Indonesia and Bangladesh will empathize with us. We need them. We will be there for them.
Americans will be twist their arms. Do stand firm and do the right thing. We need you.