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On\n5th<\/sup> April 2020, a group of 163 civil society activists & 17\norganizations placed their names on a letter to H E President Gotabaya\nRajapakse on behalf of the Muslims appealing to grant burial to covid-19 dead.\nThis is not to argue against their petition but to ask 2 questions. Firstly,\nwhy not issue a similar petition on behalf of the Catholics who also bury their\ndead? Isn\u2019t their mental state affected as well? If mental state is what the\npetitioners are highlighting how about the feelings of the families of the\nother victims who had to forsake their traditional customs as well. Did these\npetitioners comment one word on behalf of the other dead victims? Secondly, why\nnot speak on behalf of the Sinhalese & Tamils who comprise almost 90% of\nthe population & had their Avurudu (New Year) celebrations cancelled by the\nGovernment-aren\u2019t their sentiments hurt too? Doesn\u2019t this selective championing\nof \u2018justice\u2019 highlight very clearly the bias of these petitioners? <\/p>\n\n\n\n These\n163 \u2018civil society voices\u2019 were appealing to address the \u2018country\u2019s distressed\nMuslims\u2019 and \u2018put to rest their fears\u2019 that they are being \u2018punished\u2019, and that\nthe country has \u2018little respect for their concerns\u2019. They cite the cremation of\na Muslim on 30th<\/sup> March 2020. The activists claim that the Muslim\nfaith requires the dead to be buried and not cremated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Close\nto 70 signatories are Muslim, just over 40 signatories are Tamils, close to 40\nsignatories are Sinhalese: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Prominent\nnames on the list include<\/p>\n\n\n\n Academics:<\/strong> Dr.\nNimalka Fernando<\/strong>, Attorney-at-law, Dr. Paikiasothy\nSaravanamuttu<\/strong>, Dr.\nJehan Perera<\/strong>, National Peace Council Prof\nAmeer Ali, Dr. Farzana Haniffa, University Of Colombo, Prof. Arjuna Aluwihare<\/strong>, Dr. Kaushalya Fernando, Prof. Arjuna Parakrama<\/strong>, University Of\nPeradeniya, Prof. Gameela Samarasinghe<\/strong>,\nUniversity Of Colombo. Dr. Harini\nAmarasuriya, Open University Of Sri Lanka<\/p>\n\n\n\n Legal:<\/strong> Lal\nWijenayake<\/strong>, Attorney-at-law, Justice. Dr. Saleem Marsoof, Srinath Perera<\/strong>, Attorney-at-aw, United\nSocialist Party, K.S. Ratnave<\/strong>l,\nAttorney-at-law<\/p>\n\n\n\n Journalist:<\/strong> Latheef Farook, Emil van der\nPoorten<\/p>\n\n\n\n Others:<\/strong> Radhika\nCoomaraswamy<\/strong>, Bhavani Fonseka, Visakha Tillekeratne<\/strong>, Chief Commissioner, Sri Lanka Girl Guides\nAssociation Ruki Fernando, Devanesan\nNesiah<\/strong>, Bishop Duleep de Chickera<\/strong>,\nProf. Rajan Hoole, Prof. S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of these names of course are well\nknown for their open bias but it is strange to see the signatories of Church\nheads who ideally should have insisted on the petitioners mentioning the denial\nof Catholics to bury dead too. Why is the entire petition voicing only 1\ncommunity only? Then you get a member of\nthe Election Commission also signing and he does what he likes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n