{"id":88631,"date":"2019-05-12T15:02:17","date_gmt":"2019-05-12T22:02:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=88631"},"modified":"2019-05-12T15:02:17","modified_gmt":"2019-05-12T22:02:17","slug":"sri-lankas-saudi-connections-revealed-in-latest-arrest-over-easter-bombings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2019\/05\/12\/sri-lankas-saudi-connections-revealed-in-latest-arrest-over-easter-bombings\/","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lanka\u2019s Saudi connections revealed in latest arrest over Easter bombings"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>Courtesy\u00a0 The South China Morning Post\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Ultraconservative Salafi-Wahhabi Islam, which has its roots in the Middle Eastern kingdom, has been taking root among the South Asian island\u2019s Muslims<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.i-scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/1200x800\/public\/d8\/images\/methode\/2019\/05\/12\/bf6ac0fe-7493-11e9-b91a-87f62b76a5ee_image_hires_170415.JPG?itok=WM2Y5qw6\" alt=\"The flag of Saudi Arabia. Photo: AP\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The flag of Saudi Arabia. Photo: APSri Lankan authorities have arrested a Saudi-educated scholar for what they claim are links with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/asia\/south-asia\/article\/3007510\/who-zahran-hashim-radical-cleric-linked-sri-lanka-bombings\">Zahran Hashim<\/a>, the suspected ringleader of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/topics\/sri-lanka-bombings\">Easter Sunday bombings<\/a>, throwing a spotlight on the rising influence of Salafi-Wahhabi Islam on the island\u2019s Muslims.Mohamed Aliyar, 60, is the founder of the Centre for Islamic Guidance, which boasts a mosque, a religious school and a library in Zahran\u2019s hometown of Kattankudy, a Muslim-dominated city on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/topics\/sri-lanka\">Sri Lanka\u2019s<\/a>&nbsp;eastern shores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Information has been revealed that the suspect arrested had a close relationship with \u2026 Zahran and had been operating financial transactions,\u201d said a police statement late on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The statement said Aliyar was involved\u201d with training in the southern town of Hambantota for the group of suicide bombers who attacked hotels and churches on Easter, killing more than 250 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.i-scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/d8\/images\/methode\/2019\/05\/12\/8d202ca8-7491-11e9-b91a-87f62b76a5ee_1320x770_170415.JPG\" alt=\"Officials inspect the site of an explosion at Shangri-La hotel in Colombo on April 21. Photo: Reuters\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Officials inspect the site of an explosion at Shangri-La hotel in Colombo on April 21. Photo: Reuters<strong>Share:<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Shared%20from%20South%20China%20Morning%20Post&amp;body=Sri%20Lanka%E2%80%99s%20Saudi%20connections%20revealed%20in%20latest%20arrest%20over%20Easter%20bombings%0D%0Ahttps:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/asia\/southeast-asia\/article\/3009906\/sri-lankas-saudi-connections-revealed-latest-arrest-over\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A police spokesman declined to provide details on the accusations. Calls to Aliyar and his associates went unanswered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The government says Zahran, a radical Tamil-speaking preacher, was a leader of the group.SUBSCRIBE TO&nbsp;THIS WEEK IN ASIAGet updates direct to your inboxSUBMITBy registering for these newsletters you agree to our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/terms-conditions\">T&amp;C<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two Muslim community sources in Kattankudy said his hardline views were partly shaped by ultraconservative Salafi-Wahhabi texts that he picked up at the Centre for Islamic Guidance\u2019s library around two to three years ago. The sources are not affiliated with the centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I used to always run into him at the centre, reading Saudi journals and literature,\u201d said one of the sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/week-asia\/opinion\/article\/3007907\/sri-lanka-rising-islamic-militancy-was-proverbial-elephant-room\">In Sri Lanka, rising Islamic militancy was the proverbial elephant in the room<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>During that time, Zahran started criticising the practice of asking God for help, for instance, arguing that such pleas were an affront to pure Islam.<a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">&nbsp;&nbsp;TOP ARTICLES1\/5READ MOREActress Alyssa Milano calls for\u2018sex strike\u2019 over abortion bans in Republican states<\/a><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">&nbsp;&nbsp;TOP ARTICLES1\/5READ MOREActress Alyssa Milano calls for\u2018sex strike\u2019 over abortion bans in Republican states<\/a><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">&nbsp;&nbsp;TOP ARTICLES1\/5READ MOREActress Alyssa Milano calls for\u2018sex strike\u2019 over abortion bans in Republican states<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That kind of teaching was not in Sri Lanka in 2016, unless you read it in Salafi literature,\u201d the source added, requesting anonymity to avoid repercussions in Kattankudy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Salafism, a puritanical interpretation of Islam that advocates a return to the values of the first three generations of Muslims and is closely linked to Wahhabism, has often been criticised as the ideology of radical Islamists worldwide.Wahhabi Islam has its roots in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/topics\/saudi-arabia\">Saudi Arabia<\/a>&nbsp;and is backed by its rulers, although&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/topics\/crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman\">Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman<\/a>&nbsp;has committed the kingdom to a more moderate form of Islam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.i-scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/d8\/images\/methode\/2019\/05\/12\/5c6b0ff8-7494-11e9-b91a-87f62b76a5ee_1320x770_170415.jpg\" alt=\"Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Photo: AFP\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Photo: AFP<strong>Share:<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Shared%20from%20South%20China%20Morning%20Post&amp;body=Sri%20Lanka%E2%80%99s%20Saudi%20connections%20revealed%20in%20latest%20arrest%20over%20Easter%20bombings%0D%0Ahttps:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/asia\/southeast-asia\/article\/3009906\/sri-lankas-saudi-connections-revealed-latest-arrest-over\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other than the fact that Zahran visited the centre, the sources in Kattankudy said they did not know of any personal ties between him and Aliyar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aliyar founded the centre in 1990, a year after he graduated from the Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, in what one resident said marked a key moment in the spread of Salafi doctrine in Kattankudy. The centre was partly funded by Saudi and Kuwaiti donors, according to a plaque outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">TROUBLEMAKER<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Three members of the centre\u2019s board spoken to before Aliyar\u2019s arrest said Zahran was a troublemaker and that they had warned authorities about his extremist views. The members, who asked to remain anonymous, citing security concerns amid a backlash against some Muslims, said they thought Zahran frequented the library around a decade ago, but had no recollection of him visiting recently and denied that any of its books were to blame for his views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Funding for the centre came from local donations, student fees, and private donors who were classmates of Aliyar\u2019s in Riyadh, the centre\u2019s sources said. Further details about the funding of the centre were unavailable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Saudi government communications office in Riyadh did not respond to requests for comment on the funding of the centre.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Courtesy\u00a0 The South China Morning Post\u00a0 Ultraconservative Salafi-Wahhabi Islam, which has its roots in the Middle Eastern kingdom, has been taking root among the South Asian island\u2019s Muslims The flag of Saudi Arabia. Photo: APSri Lankan authorities have arrested a Saudi-educated scholar for what they claim are links with&nbsp;Zahran Hashim, the suspected ringleader of the&nbsp;Easter [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-88631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-terrorism"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88631"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88631\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}