SLTJ’s MMDA Protest And (Un-Islamic) Abusive Criticism

By Mohamed Harees –November 5, 2016

Lukman Harees

‘You who believe! show integrity for the sake of Allah, bearing witness with justice. Do not let hatred for a people incite you into not being just. Be just. That is closer to taqwa. Fear [and respect] Allah. Allah is aware of what you do’. ~ (Quran : Surat al-Maida, 8)

On Thursday, Sri Lanka Thawheed Jama’ath (SLTJ) exercised their constitutional right to protest against the attempts made by the Government to bring about amendments to a historic law relating to the Muslim Marriages and Divorces (MMDA), apparently due to pressure exerted by the EU as a precondition to granting GSP+ to Sri Lanka. Thousands flocked and showed their disapproval and discontent by walking in a procession , carrying placards which culminated in a mass meeting addressed by SLTJ Leaders. There was also another counter- protest staged by a Sinhala group against this SLTJ procession ,which also exercised their constitutional right to express their freedom of expression, which is a healthy sign in a vibrant democracy. ‘Jaw-Jaw’ is better than ‘War-War’ as Churchill once said.

Be that it may, what was however totally deplorable was the abusive manner in which a SLTJ Leader handled criticism and how he referred to Ven Gnanasara Thero in abusive disparaging terms at the meeting. This type of language is not at all acceptable in any civilized society; moreover it is against the basic rules and decorum Islam teaches us- Muslims to adopt in handling criticism , however despicable such criticism may be. True! It is beyond doubt that Ven Gnanasara Thero and his likes went way beyond the basic rules of decorum their own religion – Buddhism teaches them and even breached the tenets of the Vinaya Pitaka too, by being abusive towards not just Muslims, but insulting even their beloved religion of Islam which they along with billions of others in the world hold dear in their hearts. The manner of speech and behaviour particularly Ven Gnanassara Thero was so rough and unrefined , they ultimately earned the wrath of most of the venerable members of the Maha Sangha and the majority of Buddhist brethren.

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