Lankamuslim.com

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 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   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 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.

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.

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

The Destroyed Chavakachcheri Jumma Mosque.

Around 61 Muslim males from Jaffna gathered at the Chavakachcheri Mohideen Jummah mosque after a lapse of 20 years to perform the Jammah (Friday) prayer today. Mowlavi Nilafdeen (Nulari) conducted the Kuthubah presentation (Friday sermon) and led the prayer inside the roofless Muhideen Jummah Masjid.

Following the Jummah prayer the mowlavi also conducted Salathul Kusuf (Eclipse Prayer) seeking protection from the almighty. The Muslims gathered at the Jummah prayer have requested all the Muslims in Sri Lanka to help jointly to rebuild all the mosques and Madarasas that are damaged and ruined due to the ethnic war that existed for nearly three decades.

The LTTE expelled the Muslims from the north after snatching away all their belongings in the year 1990 and they had been living in Puttalam, Kalpity, Anuradhapura and Kurunegala at welfare centres undergoing much difficulty since they were evicted from the north, says the muslimguardian

In 2 separate TV interviews Gen. Fonseka says that he will keep and have full control of 5 ministries if he is elected President on the 26th. Sarath Fonseka expressed these views for the first time last Saturday the 9th on “Lanka TV Neth” which beams out a 24 hour programme from Polhengoda Sri Lanka reaching out to the Sinhala Audience in Europe, Middle East and Asia. This TV programme can not be viewed in Sri Lanka. The second time he expressed these views was in an Interview telecast by ITN Sri Lanka last night.

Speaking on Lanka TV Neth, Fonseka said “If the people elect me as President, it is not a contract to send Rajapaksa home and at the same time send myself also home”. He further said that he would keep Defence, Finance, Health, Education and Employment ministries under his direct control. But at the beginning of his campaign the Opposition candidate pledged to abolish the executive presidency and agreed to vest its powers to Prime Minister and Parliament.  His view on Lanka TV Neth is dramatic change of his policies -web news.

Common opposition candidate  Gen. Sarath Fonseka addressing the Ranasinghe Abisheka Convention attended by Buddhist clergy calling for democracy at the Vihara Maha Devi Park on the 09th said there was a false rumor that he was going to merge North and East.The Gen. said he, who fought against the Tigers and liberated the east, has no desire to do such a thing. He also added that it was because he liberated the east, the court case to de-merge the north and east was entertained he also added that he will never betray the nation and its sovereignty and he also do not wish to sell the country to get votes.

The president of Mosques Federation and Muslim Organisations of eastern province Mowlavi S.L.M. Haneefa has written two separate letters to the Presidential candidates Mahinda Rajapakse and General Sarath Fonseka mentioning 13 unresolved problems facing the Muslims.

In his letter to President  Mahinda Rajapakse he had stated that the Muslim community would be grateful if the unresolved problems of the Muslims existing for the past 17 years are resolved before the presidential election.

Mowlavi Haneefa in his letter addressed to General Sarath Fonseka had pointed out the lapses on the part of previous governments in solving these problems for the last 17 years and requested him to express his view and future activities with regard to the unresolved problems of the Muslims publicly. The problems stipulated in his letter are given below. more…

Over 120,000 houses along Sri Lanka’s coastline were destroyed, and over 516,000 people were displaced, while over 30,000 drowned in the 2004 tsunami. In its aftermath, the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) worked tirelessly to help the victims and clear up the devastated areas throughout the island. A number of victims of the tidal wave are now volunteers for the SLRCS themselves and many work in the worst affected areas – like Ampara district in the east coast. This is the first of three stories about three victims who are now active volunteers in the coastal villages of Ninthavur and Sainthamarathu about 35 kms away from Ampara town.

Fowza, 35, has been a volunteer for the SLRCS for four years. She lives in Ninthavur – a coastal village devastated by the tidal wave. Her house was partially destroyed and it was Red Cross volunteers that helped clear the debris and rubble from her home. “I need to give something back to the community and being a Red Cross volunteer has given me the opportunity to help others who were in the same situation I was in,” says Fowza. She and her family are also beneficiaries of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and UN Habitat-led Community Recovery and Reconstruction Partnership (CRRP) owner-driven housing programme and so she feels that the very least she can do is spend what spare free time she has helping the Red Cross.

Fowza was not merely ‘lucky’ to have survived the tsunami herself. On the day tidal wave the struck, her two sons were in pre-school. All 44 children at the school – including the teacher – drowned that day,  the only two to survive were her sons who managed to escape by being the first to run to higher ground. As a volunteer, Fowza works among her community, coordinating weekly community meetings, helping organise the women’s’ banking society and arranging and coordinating community-based health (CBH) meetings and activities in the area.

IFRC