Leaders appeal for unity among Muslim sects, By Asif Fuard

Muslim leaders yesterday appealed for unity among various sects after last week’s the Sunday Times revealed mounting tension in Kattankudy between the newly emerging Thawheed group and moderate followers of Islam.

“We don’t want Muslim brothers to propagate Islam with the gun. There is a conflict of beliefs amongst the traditional Muslims and the Thawheed Muslims. What we want is for both schools of belief to respect each others opinion,” Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana said.

The Sunday Times Insight Team’s report August 16 revealed that foreign groups were funding Thawheed. They have launched a campaign against moderate traditional followers, sometimes resorting to violence with the use of arms.

“We see that there are elements in foreign countries funding the new Muslim sects. This is viewed as a major concern. There have been cases where certain Muslim sects have destroyed Muslim shrines and mosques. The moderate Muslims in Kattankudy cannot practice their faith freely and are forced to live in fear due to armed Muslim groups,” he told the Sunday Times.

“Propagating Islam with the gun is an un-Islamic practice that goes against the teachings of the Holy Prophet and the Koran,” he said. In this holy month of Ramazan, the reality to be tolerant against each other should be remembered, he added. “The Sunday Times Insight Team’s report is an eye opener to all Muslims in the country,” Governor Mowlana said.

Mansoor Marikar, the Chairman of the all island Wakf Board – the Government’s administrative governing body of all registered mosques in Sri Lanka – said that Muslim religious leaders with the co-operation of the Muslim community should take steps to unite.

“There has been enough bloodshed and atrocities committed to Muslims. Muslim shrines have also been destroyed. This type of trend can only be detrimental to Islam. We recently saw a sectarian backlash in Beruwala,” he said.

Mr. Marikkar added, “This is mainly due to the conflict of beliefs where one mosque made critical remarks via loudspeakers of a 200 year old Sufi mosque. There are armed Muslim groups operating in the East which have been harassing the moderate traditional Muslims in that region. If this issue is not nipped in the bud it can only get worse.”

“Many of these mosques which have Jumma prayers are registered under the Wakf Board. But now we see many new mosques mushrooming in close proximity to these registered Jumma mosques,” he pointed out. Farook Tahir, the President of the Sir Razik Fareed Foundation who is also a member of the board of directors of the Moors Islamic Cultural Home said that the only way unity amongst Muslims could be achieved was by having a dialogue with all Muslim sects in order to come to a compromise.

“There are certain external forces that are influencing a section of the Muslims in Sri Lanka. They are funding these groups and are the main cause for the sectarian violence. Muslims in Sri Lanka should be educated about the different sects and must be taught to respect each other’s opinion,” he said.