Sampanthan and Sumanthiran stick their necks out for Muslims! By S.H.Moulana – Riyadh

Muslim MPs representing the community in the country’s parliament have created an utter disappointment for the entire community by their deafening silence plus by some MPs even shouting down MPs belonging to another minority community speaking on their behalf.

It is highly laudable despite having their own grievances they elected to speak on behalf of the Muslim minority on what it had to undergo in the hands of few extremists groups, who were supposed to be above the law. It is really shocking to learn that one of the worst of these groups has made a public statement that it has the blessings of the president as well as the defense secretary’s protection! Not only the entire country but the entire world saw how the twist and turn the attack on ‘Fashion Bug’ took.

The case on the attackers was disposed in world record time and I believe it is something should go into the Guinness Book of World Records. Everyone knows what led to the premature decision of this case, even for the annoyance of those guardians of law.

We are positive that the outcome of this case will give the encouragement for these extremist groups needed to commit more and more atrocities on the helpless minority.

I had the opportunity of listening to speeches made by various personalities on ‘Religion, Reconciliation and Future’. I was impressed by the speeches made by Sumanthiran, and Javed Yousuf, the former ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

These are the pick of the lot although there were others not so impressive for many reasons; presentation, their reasons to convince the audience as well as their slight inclination towards the extremists, involved in current hate campaign. It is absolutely sad that those who could speak for the Muslim community, are not in the parliament and those who are in either cannot speak or do not want to speak for reasons better known to them. However, they are clever in interrupting those Tamil MPs, who are sticking their necks out for another fellow minority community, while addressing the parliament.

The Hansard will bear witness to all proceedings in the house as to who said what, when Muslim community’s plight being discussed in the country’s parliament. Let this be a warning for all Muslim MPs in the house. We see people are proudly quoting what their leaders have said in the State Council even before we got independence and I am afraid on which side of the history these Muslim MPs will remain in few decades time, when the generations to come start referring the past records!

One comforting thing, however, I see with pleasure is that a large number of the majority community including the learned Rev. Monks together with the educated Sinhala Buddhists are against the hate campaign of these extremist groups.

These groups have only succeeded in getting the support of uneducated and the few jobless masses. All what we urge from the government is to strictly enforce law and order in the country and nobody to be above the law. Have zero tolerance on those who create unrest in the country. Please don’t allow anyone, I mean anyone, to tarnish the image of our beloved motherland!

– Asian Tribune –