Muslims are an integral part of country – AHM Azwer, MP

Following is the text of the speech by Advisor to the President and Member of Parliament AHM Azwer at the budget 2012 debate on the Vote of the Ministry of National Heritage, made in Parliament on December 12, 201:

Hon. Deputy Chairman, there seems to be an atmosphere of complete peace and harmony prevailing in this House today and I think that is because we are discussing the Vote on the Ministry of National Heritage.

The person who is heading that Ministry is an erudite scholar, a man of letters and a scholar of fame with a great name. He is blessed with a great moral fortitude. Even in conversation he sounds philosophical. That is (Dr.) Jagath Balasuriya.

“After the Ministers versus MPs 20-20 cricket match played yesterday for the first time in history, which is unique in the whole world, where Parliamentarians played a match with the Ministers of the Cabinet, there seems to be complete harmony prevailing in this House.

Even the Secretary-General of Parliament was a witness to this spectacle. If we can go on and on like this, Parliament will be a much more peaceful place to represent.

The match was played for the Speaker’s Trophy for the first time in history. It is unique.

Even President Mahinda Rajapaksa immediately on his arrival from Buro-Budur in Indonesia, straightaway came into the pavilion.

Also, the Leader of the Opposition joined the President as a spectator. What a convivial atmosphere prevailed in the grounds! We always cross swords with each other in this House but MPs from both sides of the House joined to play a great match – a great game in its true spirit.

“Today, Hon. Deputy Chairman, we heard two dissertations from MP J.R.P. Sooriyapperuma and also from the Hon Janaka Bandara, our friend over there. Sir, I must thank them because a lot of history, civilization, was unearthed through their illuminating lectures I should say, not Parliamentary speeches.

Hon. Deputy Chairman, among other things that I want to place before the Ministers, there are various places of historical and archaeological importance of the Muslims in this country. Straightaway comes to our mind Beruwala, where the Arab first came as settlers to this country and they made a very strong community, a loyal community in this country.

Some time ago, there was a declaration almost spelling out to make these historical and archaeological important sites, because the first mosque built in Sri Lanka Masjid-ul-Abrar is situated there.

I was involved with M.A. Bakeer Markar, the past illustrious Speaker of this House when he renovated the Masjid-ul-Abrar with the backing of Abdul Hameed Hajjiar – I remember them – T.M.N. ‘Duke’ Hameed, Ismeth Abdullah who is in London today, Ajward Master A.W.M. Raziek Marikar, who was the Chairman of the Urban Council, Beruwala. Sir, there was a stamp issued. You must take action to declare these historical and archaeological important sites as national heritage.

Malays and Memons

“Also Sir, There is the Malay Community and Memon Community in this country.

These two communities are an integral party, very loyal and patriotic citizens. They came to Sri Lanka from Java and Malaysia. They established the Wekanda Mosque 225 years ago.

The other day, the ambassador for Indonesia, Djafar Hussein went and declared open a website in that historic Mosque. And there is the Java Lane Mosque, Java Street in Slave Island, Java Chavakachcheri is now Chavakachcheri where the people from Java came during the Dutch period. Some of them were brought as prisoners here and others who came were from Royal and Noble families later.

They were great scholars. Malay people were men of Valour and Vigour, very clever, very determined, very bold and very strong in their outlook. So, Sir, their historic places must be renovated.

There is also the Dharma Kabeer Jummah Mosque in Hambantota. That is also a very historical important Mosque and there are Malays and others around the place.

Their forefathers were buried in the Grand Mosque at New Mosque Street which was looked after by the ancestors, Sir Razik Fareed. He was mentioning about the Museum which was built by Wapche Marikar, the grandfather of Sir Razik Fareed.

I think, many arteifacts that were very recently discovered by the Muslim archaeologists must be exhibited in the Colombo Museum for posterity.

“There is the Seven Virgins Mountains in Maskeliya. An Indonesian Haj plane crashed over there. We do not call it a historic place, but the place to remember that some hundreds of Hajjis were buried there.

Recently, I think, once again the Ambassador for Indonesia Djafar Hussein visited this site.

“There is a mosque built in that place by M.H.M. Fazal Hadjiar together with a lot of others.

“Then, there was a plane crash at Kimbulapitiya in Katunayake. About 300 Hajjis were flown back to Jakarta.

There is a memorial built by that great man, Sir Abdul W.M. Ameer, who was the Consul General, a very senior man, of the Dominican Republic. A Haj memorial building is now come up at the foot of the Seven Virgins in Maskeliya in memory of those shuhadas.

The deceased are called in Islamic term “shuhadas”. There is also a Haj memorial building closer to the airport. I think that also must come into your reckoning, Hon. Minister.

“Then, we know about the civilizations that arose in the banks of Euphrates and Tigris, along the Nile and in the Indus Valley, the Mohenjo-daro and Harappa civilizations.

Member of Parliament Sooriyapperuma, Knows all these things; he waxed eloquent when he was lecturing at the Muslim League Youth Front some time ago.

“Then, Sir, there is a Maimon mosque in the Fourth Cross Street in Pettah, which was built in 1929. The Maimon community came from Gujarat. They are also an integral part of Sri Lanka.

They call this their own land. They earn; they spend; they are a philanthropist-minded community. One of our greatest lecturers and Imams, Khaleelur Rahman Hazrat – we call him “Manimolli Moulana” – was one of the most famous Khateebs from that place. There is also the Java Lane.

Baghdad and Kufa

“Sir, when talking about world civilizations and archaeological sites, we are reminded of cities like Baghdad and Kufa, which were completely decimated, eradicated and destroyed by Zionist western powers and they are still carrying it on.

The Bamiyan Buddha statues were destroyed by the Taliban. It was Moulavi Niyaz Mohamed Marhoom who took the Muslims against that round the city. Recently, Sir, when we were in Male, the President was talking to the President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai. He said, “That was a great historical civilization. It should never have been destroyed by those vandalists” and it is still being carried on, Sir.

“What do they do? They give the Nobel Prize and other awards to people who are responsible for destruction. They are the number one vandals in this world, as we could call them.

Sir, I quote from chapter 3 on page 41 of the brilliant book called “To the Ends of the Earth: The Hunt for the Jackal” written by acclaimed British author, David Yallop:

“On April 10, 1948, the Palestinian village of Deir Yassin, near Jerusalem, was destroyed. Its inhabitants, 260 men, women and children, were slaughtered; some were shot, some hacked to death.

The attack was a combined operation by two Jewish groups, the Irgun, whose Commander in Chief was Menachem Begin, and the Stern Gang, one of whose leaders was Yitzhak Shamir.

In 1980 Begin was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1983, when Begin resigned from office, he was succeeded as Prime Minister of Israel by Yitzhak Shamir. History is written by winners.”

President Obama was subsequently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. For what, may I ask in this House. The Norwegian Nobel Committee made this award to President Obama stating, I quote:

……for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama’s vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.”

Zionist terrorism

“The other day, our respected Governor of the Western Province, “Jamal-al-Lail” Seyed Alavi Mowlana, led a massive demonstration from the Dewatagaha Mosque to the Lipton Circus against the Nato attack on Palestine. Incidentally, that Mosque should also be included in the list of National Heritage Sites because there is a long history behind this ancient shrine of Shaikh Osman Waliullah.

“Then, I would like to mention as to how NATO bombed the people in Pakistan and 26 innocent soldiers were killed.

What do they mean? Is it restoring of peace or restructuring destruction of human beings and the properties in other countries? In one, we see a confirmed Zionist terrorist a murderer receiving the award and on the other, even before the incumbent hardly took office, the award goes to this mere “visionary”! In May, 2009 the world witness as to how our President, Mahinda Rajapaksa – now, see the difference; mark the difference – demonstrably eradicated the menace of terrorism in all its forms.

Menachem Begin, could you hear this? Where are you? Terrorism plagued this resplendent Island of ours for three decades. Bloodshed, murder and mayhem were the order of the day and people were killed on a daily basis, as a day-to-day business. Eradication of terrorism was a formidable feat which no Head of State in the world had achieved, except for President Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka.

All that horror was wiped out for good, never to emerge again in this beautiful Island.

Therefore, Sir, looking at the attainment of peace in its proper perspective, Mahinda Rajapaksa rightfully deserves – I say in this House, from Parliament of Sri Lanka to the world – to be awarded the Nobel Prize!

“One of our greatest philanthropists, Alhaj. N D H Abdul Caffoor, the respected father of that illustrious Member of Parliament for Colombo-Central, Alhaj M Falil A Caffoor, donated that building to United National Party. It was earlier called – (Dr.) Balasuriya, you know it – “Iceland Building”. It has been considered a building of history.

His Excellency the President mentioned in his Budget Speech that he has allocated money for that. We thank him so much for it, Sir.

“Sir, today or any day, if you count on the Hon. Members of Parliament who bear great qualities and great moral fortitude, the Hon. (Dr.) Jagath Balasuriya is one of them, and he is also a gentleman to the true sense of the word. Thank you very much.”