LANKAMUSLIM NEWS FEATURES:
- Evicted Northern Muslims will be resettled by May – President
- Ever memorable and never forgettable painful memory of Jaffna Muslims: M.Shamil mohamed
- Non-existence of operational standard for Muslim IDPs : M. Shamil Mohamed
- expulsion of Northern Muslims aged 20
- What “muslim” are we ? a moment of truth: S.M.M. Bazeer
- Sri Lanka: Displaced Muslims of the North to be resttled
- Expelled Northern Muslims and Tamil polity
- Treatment of Tamil IDPs and Muslim Refugees: Double Standard
- Muthur Muslims lose lands to govt. program
- A Muslim youth abducted by an armed group who came in a white Van
- Muslim deputy mayor for Jaffna after one year
- Sri Lanka’s war-displaced Muslims want to return home
- Committee to resolve Vaharai land dispute between Tamils & Muslims
- SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem’s reply to Eastern Province Governor
President Rajapaksa conferred doctorate in Moscow
Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa has been conferred an honorary doctorate by People’s Friendship University of Moscow.Mr. Rajapaksa, who is presently on a tour of Russia, received the Honoris Causa diploma from the university’s rector Prof. Vladimir M. Filippov yesterday (Feb. 06).
Formerly known as Patrice Lumumba University, the university is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. On his first state visit after being elected to a second term, the Sri Lankan president is due to meet with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev and prime minister Vladimir Putin.The three-day tour by Mr. Rajapaksa will also see Sri Lanka signing a 300 million dollar loan agreement for the purchase of military and dual-purpose equipment, according to RIA Novosti news agency.
196 houses given for Tsunami homeless in Sainthamaruthu
196 houses for homeless Tsunami victims were handed over to them today in Sainthamaruthu. These houses were built on a grant given by Venezuela govt. on the land provided and reclaimed by the govt. on the effort of minister of housing and common amneties and leader NUA Ms.Ferial Ashraff. The Venezuela govt. granted US 70 million collected from the people of Veliverian, Venezuela on an MoU signed at the ministry of housing in 2005.
These houses were built on marshy land reclaimed at the expenses of the sri Lankan govt. with the combined effort of the ministries of nation building and housing. Originally it was planned to build 1000 unit houses of condominium/flats in the reclaimed land. However, this original scheme was changed on the political intervention of a former deputy minister. As aa result, the project was delayed and it was decided to build individual houses instead of flats. This change of plan has created landless problem in the Karavahu Vattai where the filling and reclaiming the land are costlier than the building of houses.
Another 60 houses built by NHDA on the grant given by an international NGO known as IFAD built on land reclaimed by the govt. was handed over to the benificiaries last month. Another 120 houses built for Tsunami homeless on a land acquired at the initiative of the minister Ferial Ashraff at Ismailpuram, Sammanthurai were handed over last year. Venezuela Amabassador based in New Delhi accompanied by Cuban Ambassador in Colombo graced todays event at Saithamaruthu.
Minister Ferial Ashraff’s message of appreciation to Venezuela govt. was read over by U.M.Nisar, attorney at law since the minister is on an official visit to the United Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia provides US$ 50 mn. for humanitarian relief
The Saudi Arabian Embassy in Colombo, said that its government has contributed US$ 50 million for humanitarian relief work in Haiti.“The money was handed over to the United Nations Fund.It was announced by the UN Secretary General”,the embassy said.
Mannar Bridge, causeway nearing completion
The Construction work on new Mannar Bridge and the causeway connecting the Mannar Island with the mainland are now nearing completion, with funds by the Japanese Government. The new bridge spanning 157.1 meters in length and 10.4 meters in width has been constructed with two lanes of carriageway and sidewalks on the Medawachchiya–Mannar–Thalaimannar (A 14) Road. The causeway has been extended up to 3.14 km in length and 11.0 m width comprising 2 lanes of carriageway.
This bridge which was damaged due to a terrorist bomb blast in 1990 was restored with a temporary steel bailey bridge which was narrow in width and was restricted for heavy vehicles of over 10 tons, the report said. Approximately 41,000 people living in Mannar Island will directly benefit by this project which will vastly improve the market approachability and facilitating transportation at a low cost.
Jaffna white beach Muslim village becoming active again
Jaffna white beach known as Mankumban is a Muslim village situated about 10 kilometres from the Jaffna town. The Muslims in Jaffna town are the owners of most of the lands in the beach here. The Jaffna town Muslims were using this beach village as a resort and visited this place often during their leisure hours spending their time with families and friends where there are two mosques. After the LTTE forcibly evicted the Muslims of Jaffna in 1990, this beach village became deserted and the Sri Lankan security forces used one of the mosques as camp. This village and the mosques are becoming active once again with the resettlement of Muslims in Jaffna.
New security check post set up in Kalmunai
A new police security check post has been set up yesterday (Monday) just in front of the Kalmunai town hall presently functioning as DPDHS office along the Kalmunai – Akkaraipattu main road. The people here wonder as to the reason why this check post has come up all of a sudden at a time, when there is no security threat posed with the LTTE being wiped out totally from the east coast. This place was considered the safest by the security forces during the period the LTTE was very active in the east and there was no necessity for them to set up such check post here. The people suspect foul play and believe this as the work of the government for not supporting President Mahinda Rajapakse at the recently concluded presidential election. They think this Police security check post is intended to annoy or tease the Muslims living in these areas.
muslimguardian
Sri Lanka’s Malays Want More Political Space On The Island
In Sri Lanka’s ethnic cocoon, the minority Malay population is searching for more political space to voice their socio-economic rights.
An estimated 50,000 Malays, mostly descending from the Indonesian archipelago and southern Malaysia, are the minorities among the minorities in the country’s 20 million population.
In post-war Sri Lanka, the Malays are worried if their social-political mobility would be stifled without proper political representation in the island’s multi-ethnic make-up, as a bulk are still in the economically-backward segment.
“About 30 per cent of the Malays are in the middles-class while 60 per cent are in difficult circumstances, living below the poverty line.
“They don’t have regular income or proper housing, access to universities and government jobs are difficult because these are allocated according to ethnic proportion, and Malays are less than one per cent (of the population),” Sri Lanka Malay Association president Iqram Cuttilan told Bernama in the capital.
In the island state, Singhalese make up 74 per cent of the population, 12 per cent are Tamils, while another 12 per cent are Moors, who are Muslims (Muslim community is made up of the Moors, Malays and Indian Muslims).
The Malays, who were brought into Sri Lanka as soldiers by the Dutch in the late 1600s, still profess Islam, speak the Malay language, and continue to preserve their own culture and heritage of their forefathers.
But now, the new generation of Malays wants to be equally represented in the mainstream Sri Lankan society which, to some degree, has been ethnically polarised.
“We are lobbying the government to nominate a Malay MP (member of parliament) to represent Malays in Parliament. We are not being heard in the parliament, the minority rights cannot be articulated now,” said Iqram.
The Malays have assimilated well into the Sri Lankan society and lived side by side with the other ethnic groups for decades.
Many are multi-lingual, with Singhalese, Tamil, Malay and English widely spoken among the Malay community. But their voice remains muzzled.
The pearl-shaped island had been torn apart by ethnic conflict for the past 30 years, when a Tamil separatist group took up arms against the Sri Lankan establishment, demanding a separate homeland for its two million people.
The war ended disastrously last May.
Even in last week’s sixth presidential election, votes of unhappy Tamils (in the north) and Muslims (in the east) clearly swung to the opposition, once again signalling their dissatisfaction of being marginalised.
BERNAMA
COLOMBO, Jan 31 (Bernama) — In Sri Lanka’s ethnic cocoon, the minority Malay population is searching for more political space to voice their socio-economic rights.
An estimated 50,000 Malays, mostly descending from the Indonesian archipelago and southern Malaysia, are the minorities among the minorities in the country’s 20 million population.
In post-war Sri Lanka, the Malays are worried if their social-political mobility would be stifled without proper political representation in the island’s multi-ethnic make-up, as a bulk are still in the economically-backward segment.
“About 30 per cent of the Malays are in the middles-class while 60 per cent are in difficult circumstances, living below the poverty line.
“They don’t have regular income or proper housing, access to universities and government jobs are difficult because these are allocated according to ethnic proportion, and Malays are less than one per cent (of the population),” Sri Lanka Malay Association president Iqram Cuttilan told Bernama in the capital.
In the island state, Singhalese make up 74 per cent of the population, 12 per cent are Tamils, while another 12 per cent are Moors, who are Muslims (Muslim community is made up of the Moors, Malays and Indian Muslims).
The Malays, who were brought into Sri Lanka as soldiers by the Dutch in the late 1600s, still profess Islam, speak the Malay language, and continue to preserve their own culture and heritage of their forefathers.
But now, the new generation of Malays wants to be equally represented in the mainstream Sri Lankan society which, to some degree, has been ethnically polarised.
“We are lobbying the government to nominate a Malay MP (member of parliament) to represent Malays in Parliament. We are not being heard in the parliament, the minority rights cannot be articulated now,” said Iqram.
The Malays have assimilated well into the Sri Lankan society and lived side by side with the other ethnic groups for decades.
Many are multi-lingual, with Singhalese, Tamil, Malay and English widely spoken among the Malay community. But their voice remains muzzled.
The pearl-shaped island had been torn apart by ethnic conflict for the past 30 years, when a Tamil separatist group took up arms against the Sri Lankan establishment, demanding a separate homeland for its two million people.
The war ended disastrously last May.
Even in last week’s sixth presidential election, votes of unhappy Tamils (in the north) and Muslims (in the east) clearly swung to the opposition, once again signalling their dissatisfaction of being marginalised.
– BERNAMA
Duped Muslims, Tamils voted against President: SB
By J.A.L. Jayasinghe
Muslim and Tamil voters duped by foreign extremist forces voted against President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said S.B. Dissanayake at a media briefing at Kandy.
He added that the Muslims and Tamils should not be blamed. They must be provided with more and more facilities. Parents would not be confronted with the calamity of abducting children for war in the North and East.
Several LTTE supporters and foreign forces supported General Sarath Fonseka, he asserted.
Continuing he said, “The war has ended. The beneficiaries are the Muslims and Tamils in the North and East, particularly the business community. Tamils in the Estate Sector voted against the President as a consequence of a dispute between Thondaman and Digambaram. That situation should be overcome. The President’s victory is ample evidence that the rumours have been rejected by the people. A majority has evidently voted for the President,” he stressed.
He said he would enter parliament after contesting a seat at the upcoming general election.
dailymirror
There was a plot to assassinate me — President
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has warned that the country could have faced a dangerous situation if the results of the Presidential Election was overturned illegally. He said this was the first time in the country’s history that there was such a high level of political mud-slinging. The President made this statement while addressing a meeting with heads of media institutions. He revealed that even letters threatening public officials had been sent for expressing views on the government’s development programme.He also revealed that there were plans to imprison him, murder Defence Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa at the Galle Face Green and also kill Parliamentarian Basil Rajapaksa.
The President divulged to the media chiefs details of a massive conspiracy which was to be carried out with the help of Army deserters who had taken lodging in luxury hotels in Colombo if by chance there was a change in the final election result.The President also emphasized that all media institutions need to play a responsible role so that communalism and terrorism will not resurface. Certain elements were attempting to revive communalism in various ways, he observed.The President requested the media to be responsible and leave no room for any such efforts. Touching on the North-East election result, the President said that their universal suffrage was more important to him than anything else. He said he appreciated the franchise these people exercised without fear and suspicion.
news.lk
Do not allow communalism to raise its head again
Do not use the media to promote chauvinism, provoke communal tensions and create an environment in which riots could occur again, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing Editors and Heads of media institutions at Temple Trees yesterday evening. “Please use the media responsibly for the good of society,” he added. “Do not leave any room for terrorism to raise its head again in the country,” the President appealed to the media.
President Rajapaksa also observed that in the recent past certain media had given a bad example to the society by publishing rumours and false and defamatory stories. However, the election results show that the people have rejected not only these stories but also the entire methodology of these media outlets, he said. Even after the election certain media are trying to distort the election victory and create unrest in the country, the President alleged.
In spite of the clear verdict of the people they are trying to create a wrong impression abroad for political reasons, he added. Commenting on the election campaign, the President said it was only at this election he saw a candidate openly declaring his intention to imprison public servants and kill political opponents by shooting them at Galle Face Green.
Commenting on the elections results in the North, the President said he was satisfied that the people there had participated in a national election. “What is significant is that they have freely joined the democratic process,” the President said. “Terrorism was defeated only a few months ago and it will take some time for them to regain trust in the people in the South. The Government has released most of the LTTE cadres who were rehabilitated during the past six months and released them to their families. I would like to recall that the JVP cadres who took part in the 1971 insurrection were rehabilitated for three years before releasing them.”
35 Muslim Organizations Appeal to Make 2010 The Year of Return of Expelled Northern Muslims
35 Muslim civil organizations representing the 2 million Muslims of the island, have issued a joint press release, on behalf of the Northen Muslim IDPS, demanding the immediate resettlement of Northern Muslims. They are concerned about the lack of urgency in resettling those IDPS after 20 years of displaced life despite the end of war in MAy 2009 and the LTTE is no more there. One of the main demands is the parrallel resetlement of Muslims along with Vanni IDPs and opening the Puttalam-Mannar road to facilitate and encourage Northen Muslims to return.
The complete press release is geven below:
As Sri Lankan Muslims civil society groups we are deeply concerned by the lack of urgency and recognition of the Northern Muslims’ right to return. Despite the end of the war in May 2009 and on-going efforts to resettle Internally Displaced Persons, the expelled Northern Muslim community is still waiting for the announcement of a program that will facilitate their dignified return to their places of origin, free of further trauma. 2010 will mark the twentieth anniversary of the expulsion of the entire population of Muslims from the Northern Province by the LTTE. It will hopefully also be the year of return for the Northern Muslims to rebuild their lives, livelihoods and a shared future with all communities of the North. more….
The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama warns politicians
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The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama is much concerned about its name being used at presidential election propaganda meetings and sternly warned Muslim politicians using it.
The ACJU in a news letter release has said that it is an independent body never requested anyone to support a particular candidate and has asked the candidates or any Muslim politician supporting anyone of them not to use its name for propaganda purposes. The Assistant secretary of ACJU As-Sheik Thasim in the special release has said that a number of candidates are contesting the presidential election to be held on the 26th of this month and requested the Muslims to conduct themselves with a far sight while wanting the Friday Kuthuba (Sermon) conducted in the same manner.
The ACJU in a news letter release has said that it is an independent body never requested anyone to support a particular candidate and has asked the candidates or any Muslim politician supporting anyone of them not to use its name for propaganda purposes. The Assistant secretary of ACJU As-Sheik Thasim in the special release has said that a number of candidates are contesting the presidential election to be held on the 26th of this month and requested the Muslims to conduct themselves with a far sight while wanting the Friday Kuthuba (Sermon) conducted in the same manner. In this special news release he has said that his organization, an independent one, has never recommended anyone to support a particular candidate as it is the democratic rights of people and they have the rights of using their franchise in whatever manner they wish.
Court restrains Fonseka meeting in Puttalam
The Puttalam Magistrate today issued a restraining order on a Presidential election rally organized by the opposition common candidate General Sarath Fonseka which was scheduled to be held in Puttalam tomorrow.
The restraining order was issued after a motion was brought forward by the Puttalam police stating that the funeral of the deceased supporter of the UPFA, Saman Kumara who was killed on the 16th was being held on the same day.
The motion further stated that there might be unrest if the funeral procession clashes with the supporters of General Fonseka at the rally. Although objections were raised by the respondents they were dismissed by the Magistrate. The organizers were advised to hold the meeting on any day before the 23rd of this month.
No agreement with TNA on re-merging North, East or any other issues – Hakeem
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauff Hakeem MP yesterday denied the recent news report in a Sinhala language weekly newspaper saying that Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R. Sampanthan had entered into an agreement with UNA common candidate General Sarath Fonseka on re-merging the North and East and other matters. He said that he was himself present at the discussions between the UNA and the TNA and he would like to assert as a responsible political leader that no agreement whatsoever was entered into either on unifying the North and East or any other matter.
Hakeem in a statement issued by his media consultant said this at the election propaganda meeting at Matale in support of the UNP Presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka. UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Presidential candidate Gen. Fonseka and party stalwarts attended the meetings.
The statement added: “Perceiving certain defeat at the January 26 Presidential Poll, the Government is now trying to induce communal sentiments of the majority community by getting unfounded and false reports published in newspapers and also carrying out a defamation and mud slinging campaign against General Sarath Fonseka,” Hakeem said.
The Island
