Muslims, Extremists, Easter Attacks & Post-Easter Violence

By Rishad Bathiudeen –APRIL 9, 2021

Rishad Bathiudeen MP

We are living in today’s world, in an era of dilemma, an era of unspeakable horrors, an era where extremism has rendered us all hostage.

This is an era of extreme confusion. We have looked to our allies in peace, and some amongst them have looked to hold us, as villains, instead of as, also victims of a global conspiracy!  Our allies in peace, have forgotten that we stood with them, even in the face of adversity. Hon. Speaker, I wish to table this book by Dr. Lorna Devaraja, first published in 1994 ‘The Muslims of Sri Lanka – One Thousand Years of Ethnic Harmony’. This book outlines over one thousand years of peaceful co-existence. Our ancestors came in here as traders.

The Commission of Inquiry states that, the first traders came here in about the 7th Century AD, and this book establishes the mutually beneficial relationship, the Muslims shared with the Sinhalese community of Sri Lanka, which laid the foundation for racial and religious amity. The Muslim traders brought enormous assets, and the Sinhala monarchs of the time, offered protection and permitted them to settle. We have remained in amity, and sort to make our investments here, in Sri Lanka. This is our motherland. Our assets and finances remain in Sri Lanka. We did not plunder this country like the Dutch, Portuguese and British.

The Sinhalese, Tamils and Christians are our brothers, in our quest to serve our mother Lanka, and nobody can or should take that right from us. When the Muslims were demanded to support the LTTE, or be evicted from the North, we, the Muslims of Sri Lanka, chose to lose our homes and our belongings to be loyal to our motherland. We gave up our assets and our livelihoods to live as refugees. I was also one of those evicted by the LTTE. We earned the wrath of the LTTE, because we chose to love our motherland, over our own lives.

We, have lived with you, among you, as one of you. We have loved each other, protected each other, shared in the spoils of war, and celebrated our victory over separatism. We Muslims never asked to be regarded separately. We only asked to be given the right to live as Sri Lankans and as Muslims.

I must admit, there were extremist elements, who exploited the name of Islam and caused turmoil. The terrorists behind the Easter Sunday attacks are not Muslims. They are terrorists that hijacked the name of Islam, for their own sinister agendas. I am not here to defend them. I cannot and will not defend or support any terrorist, even if my life was on the line. I am here to tell you that we, the Muslim Community, will stand with you, today and forever, against any and all forms of terrorism and violent extremism.

Today is the fifth day of the debate on the Commission of Inquiry Report on the Easter Attacks.

The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) appointed by the then Speaker and the Commission of Inquiry (COI) appointed by the President, have both exonerated me from all of the crass allegations, falsely linking me with those terrorists.

Ever since the Easter Attacks, Hon. Wimal Weerawansa has been making controversial statements at my expense. He says that I was in contact with Zahran, even when there is no evidence, because I or my brother had never known or met Zahran in our lives. He made this statement in a programme named ‘Islam Anthavaadhaya – Paasku Komisamen Obbata’. His entire speech during the programme provoked both the Muslim and Sinhala youths. He incited racism and religious bigotry. I asked the CID to inquire on this programme. I have formally submitted a complaint, but nothing has happened. The Commission does not mention anything as such. This is what has to be stopped.

On page 331 of the report, the Commission report is quoted:

‘Reciprocal radicalization is the cycle of radicalization which promotes each other’s radicalized ideologies’

I would say that if the Government can keep their own representatives like Wimal Weerawansa in check, and prevent them from inciting racism, the de-radicalization programme will be half complete.

He even made allegations against a renowned Government entity, claiming that Sathosa vehicles have been used to transport Zaharan, which is now proven to be just words, to mislead the public for his political motives. I am challenging you, as a minister in the current Government, to prove those allegations with facts and figures.

The report only refers to me in respect of two allegations. One is regarding the sale of scrap metal to Colossus (Pvt) Ltd from IDB. Here too the Commission has not made any findings but states that, this is a matter to be taken up by the Bribery Commission. I plan to visit the Bribery Commission tomorrow and ask them to inquire this immediately, because I want to prove without a doubt that I have no involvement with these terrorists.

Secondly, the Commission of Inquiry, had referred to a call, I made to the Army Commander, General Mahesh Senanayake. This was a call only to inquire, if Ihsan Moinudeen was in the custody, of the Law Enforcement Authorities. His father, who is a Class I Special Grade SLAS Officer and an Additional Secretary to a Ministry, is known to me and he called me as a concerned parent. He not only called me, but also wrote to the then President, and the media on the abduction of his son. First, I called the OIC of Dehiwala Police and the relevant Division SSP, Mr. Wickremesinghe who responded saying that he has not been arrested by the Police, and he suggested me to check with the Army. Then I called the General to make an inquiry, and he said he wasn’t aware and that he would try to find out. I called him a second time, to find out if progress was made, and again he said he could not check yet. The third time I called, he told me that Ihsan was in their custody and that was the end of it. For the information of this house, I table the affidavit with all relevant documents and evidences I have submitted to the Commission.

People seem to perceive this phone call to the Army Commander very negatively. I ask them, what is wrong in what I did? It is the right of every citizen in this country, to make inquiries from the lawful authorities, in this country. I am an elected representative. I am a representative of the people, and it is my obligation to make inquiries in these times on behalf of them.

The Commission report on Page 395 also makes reference to a call made by Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara. Dayasiri Jayasekara intervened on behalf of six people, who were arrested by the Bingiriya Police and brought to the Hettipola Police Station. He even got permission from the DIG Kurunegala, to have them released on Police bail and transported them in his vehicle. Those were people arrested for torching and destroying Muslim owned shops and Muslim places of worship. They attacked innocent Muslims. This is in the Commission report. But no action had been recommended by the Commission against him. Why? I wish to clearly mention that such people are also extremists.

But what did I do? I made legitimate inquiries of the whereabouts of a missing person, whose father was serving the State in a high position. Over 2000 Muslims were arrested over the Easter Sunday Attacks. This was the only person in regard to whom I made inquiries. Why? It was because he was kidnapped. That is a legitimate right that any citizen is entitled to exercise.

The fake news media say I was trying to influence the Army Commander. I am tabling here, the video clip and other evidences of the testimony of the General where he admits that I never influenced. That is a preposterous allegation. Have some humanity. I ask the parents who are listening, how would you feel if your child was kidnapped? Imagine the plight of the father of this child. Would you not have acted in the same manner?

I just made an inquiry, and the media went into a frenzy. But here we have in the case of Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekera, an elected representative against whom, I have nothing personal, not just making an inquiry, but intervening on behalf of criminals in non-bailable offences, securing sureties and securing their release. From this, we can learn that justice was not meted out evenly. I wish to ask all concerned parties; why was greater weight placed on my call, to the Army Commander, over and above the actions of Dayasiri Jayasekara? Is it because I’m a Muslim? If so, is it not discrimination?

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