Archive for the ‘Articles’ Category
SLMC CALLS FOR MUSLIM REPRESENTATION IN TALKS
By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema The major Muslim party in the country, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) says that any political solution to the ethnic issue should be acceptable to the Muslim community. Some Muslims have claimed that various solutions proposed to solve the ethnic issue have so far failed due to the non-inclusion of the Muslim community.
The SLMC is therefore to officially request the government to include them as the third party in the talks between the government and major Tamil party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) on finding a political solution to the ethnic issue Read the rest of this entry »
Living Beneath The Veil
By Maryam Azwer
My name is Maryam. I am a Muslim, I am Sri Lankan and I am a journalist. And not one of these three identities challenge the fact that I wear a headscarf. The first one encourages it, the second one is indifferent to it. And so is the third. As a girl growing up among a minority in this country, I’ve had to answer my fair share of Islam-related questions: Why do you pray five times a day? Do you really fast for one month? What does ‘halal’ mean?
And (because I do it) the more popular: Why do you cover your head? Not the prison its made out to be and The ‘ninja’ look is in!Not the prison its made out to be and The ‘ninja’ look is in! Read the rest of this entry »
The right of return will never die
The spectacular determination on Sunday, 15 May, by tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees, to return to their ancestral homeland, from which they were so mercilessly and so brutally uprooted at the hands of evil Zionist gangs, demonstrates that the right of return will never ever die.
It also underscores that the right of return, which the apartheid entity known as Israel, has been trying to obliterate and consign to oblivion by way of propaganda and conspiracies, remains the crux of the matter and will never go away as long as even a single Palestinian refugee remains dispersed in the Diaspora Read the rest of this entry »
Dear Western World, Know Before Judging!
By Ahmad Ibtes Freelance Writer- London
Wearing Niqab in France has been banned, Holland and Belgium are looking into formulating the same restrictions, building minarets in Switzerland has been outlawed and there has been controversy in Germany of building one of the biggest mosques in Europe.
Strange times for Muslims living in Europe! Ever since 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center the Western world have looked into Islam with a microscope wanting to change parts of it so as not to feel threatened by certain aspects of which they feel are uncomfortable or in other words gearing up to ‘Islamize Europe’. Read the rest of this entry »
Palestinians must reject new American tricks
By Khalid Amayreh : The Obama administration is reportedly planning to launch a new “peace initiative” in the Middle East. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested the US would make fresh efforts to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over the occupation of Palestine by Zionist Jews who supported and backed by the West, especially the United States.
According to reports from Washington, President Obama will lay out US policy toward the Middle East and North Africa in the coming weeks. Obama had laid out his administration’s policy numerous times, only to discover that Israel’s supporters in Washington possessed a real veto power over the administration’s policy toward the Zionist regime Read the rest of this entry »
Arabic Language and Sri Lanka Muslims
by M.I.M. Mohideen
It is hardly necessary to explain to Muslims in any country the importance and usefulness of the Arabic language to them. As far as the Muslims in Sri Lanka are concerned a little thought on this subject would show that the adoption of the Arabic language by them is of very great importance and may even go to the extent of saying that their future well being is intimately connected with the Arabic language.
The vast majority of the Muslims in Sri Lanka have been using the Tamil language as their home language. With the spread of English education, a number of families began to learn English. When Sinhala was made the official language after the Independence, many Muslim families not merely to make their children study in the Sinhala medium but also adopted Sinhala as their home language Read the rest of this entry »
The project for a new Arab century
The birth pangs of a new Middle East are being felt, but not in the way many outsiders envisioned. No sooner did former US president George W. Bush come into power in January 2001 than a much vaunted neo-conservative doctrine came into full swing, wreaking havoc across the Middle East. Throughout the eight years of the Bush presidency, the levers of power – the political, the economic, the scholarly and, importantly, the military – were all employed towards one ultimate goal: The project for the new American century.Bush’s neo-con backers had prepared the manual for his presidency well before time. With their man in power, the greatest force of Western power since the Roman Empire set about changing the world in the name of neo-conservatism, to “promote American global leadership”, we were told Read the rest of this entry »
Outrageous veto underscores futility of counting on US for peace
By Khalid Amayreh
The outrageous decision by the Obama administration to veto a Palestinian draft resolution denouncing Jewish settlement expansion beyond the Green Line (the former armistice line between 1948-Palestine and the West Bank) is undoubtedly a slap in the face to Palestinian Authority (PA) and other “moderate” Arab regimes that continue to count on the US to play a constructive role in the so-called peace process.
It is also a reaffirmation of the well-known fact that consecutive US administrations, irrespective of which political party they are affiliated with, are decidedly at Israel’s beck and call Read the rest of this entry »
CIA-trained ‘terrorist’ in US court
Accused of killing 73 in an airline bombing, Luis Posada Carriles charged with immigration violations, not terrorism.-El Paso, Texas – Margarita Morales Fernandez couldn’t be in court to see the former CIA agent who allegedly killed her father and 72 others aboard a Cuban airplane in one of the world’s worst airline attacks before September 11, 2001.
Fernandez and hundreds other victims are carefully watching the trial of former CIA operative Luis Posada Carriles in US federal court. His 11 charges include perjury for lying to US immigration officials, but terror-related offences are not on the docket Read the rest of this entry »
UN panel on accountability issues on Sri Lanka-A view from Jaffna
By Muruga
Many questions have been raised on the recent decision of the Secretary General of the UN to appoint a Panel of Experts to advise him on alleged incidents said to have occurred during the final phase of the humanitarian operations against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam(LTTE) last year. The SGUN appointed a three member panel of experts to advise him. It is understandable the Government of Sri Lanka was strongly opposed to this move. In an era of unqualified condemnation of terrorism, particularly after the September 11,2001 the whole world united and focused on elimination of terrorism in any form at any cost. Terrorism in Sri Lanka has a long story spanning to nearly thirty years. The terror unleashed by the LTTE has been adequately recorded Read the rest of this entry »
BEHIND THE CLOSED DOOR: AN EPISODE OF ANTI-MAHINDA BRITAIN
S.M.M.Bazeer
(Part1) – In the backdrop of the recent pro-LTTE protest against the Sri Lankan’s President’s visit to the United Kingdom, I intend to look back at the mass protest staged by the pro-LTTE Tamils at the British Parliament in 2009 and recall what happened at that time, in order to evaluate the anti-Mahinda policies of British Politicians who rely on Tamil support. Wiki leaks have already shed light on the involvement of David Milband and I may leak another episode regarding the Labour politician Robert Evans, who championed for Tamils and had acquainted LTTE terror leaders in Killinochchi.
Unlike other labor senior politicians Robert Evans may have used the Tamil card for political mileage but his desperate attempt to secure a place in the European Parliament was thwarted by Janani Jananayagam , a pro –Tamil nationalist candidate who entered the fray with a back up of the LTTE and split the block of Tamil votes. This incorrigible racial politics of Tamils in the West parallels that of Sri Lanka and conveys their inability to integrate into the majority communities Read the rest of this entry »
Beware of the extremists
By Khalid Amayreh in occupied Palestine
A few weeks ago, a supposedly religious activist, probably from one of the Gulf States, suggested to me that Muslims shouldn’t confine our attacks to Zionists; we ought, he said, to attack Jews as Jews, on the grounds that the vast majority of Jews support Israel.
I treated this “advice” with great caution, suspecting that he might be one of those overzealous fanatics who are duped by Zionist circles to malign Jews so that Israeli hasbara (propaganda) operatives such as MEMRI and Honest Reporting [sic] would be able to use his extremist rhetoric to their best advantage. They highlight “Muslim anti-Semitism” and con the world into thinking that the conflict in the Middle East is not really over the Israeli occupation of Palestine and oppression of its Christian and Muslim people, but is rooted in deeply-held Arab racism against the Jews Read the rest of this entry »
The cancellation of the Oxford Union Address highly condemnable
London, 02 December, (Asiantribune.com): The Oxford Union has officially informed by its press release that “Union has regrettably found that talk is no longer practicable and has had to cancel his address.”
Asian Tribune is of the view that the hollow reasoning of the Oxford Union cancelling the address of a head of state is highly condemnable.
In the press release Oxford Union said that “Earlier this year, The Oxford Union invited the current President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, to address our members at a date convenient to him. The Union has a policy of inviting a broad range of prominent politicians and heads of state from around the world and the invitation to Mr. Rajapaksa was made within the context of this policy Read the rest of this entry »
Northern Muslim IDps’ Situation and Case completely different
By M.Shamil Mohamed
‘Northern Muslims were robed by LTTE, The robbery is the biggest one in sri lanka’s history, North and East Muslims were Ethnically Cleansed and lost thousands of lives, Northern Muslim People who had to undergo living in camps for 20 years, This is one of longest refuge life in Sri lanka. the government’s responsibility to trace and find LTTE assets and repay to northern Muslim IDPs too same as government doing for golden credit card investors’-
President Mahinda Rajapaksa promised the Muslim IDPs from the North at the All Ceylon Muslim Congress Northern Convention on December 31, 2009 at Alankuda, Kalpitiy, puttlam
My Government will not let down the innocent Muslim civilians in the North who lost all their belongings at the hands of the LTTE 20 years ago.” “We will ensure that innocent Muslim civilians who had to leave their original places in the North due to LTTE threats will be resettled in their own properties. Their houses, schools and business establishments will be rebuilt with all necessary infrastructure facilities,” the President said Read the rest of this entry »
Sri Lankan govt. agrees to amend the Local Govt. Bills?
It is likely that the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) will alter the two highly-debated Local Authorities electoral reforms bills, as a part of the compromise it reached with the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), which joined the government ranks recently.
UPFA had reportedly agreed to include SLMC proposals during the committee stage of the two bills- namely, Local Authorities (Special Provisions) Bill and the Local Authorities Elections (Amendment) Bill Read the rest of this entry »
Islamic concepts of social responsibilities and social welfare developments
Dr Rifai Naleemi
Part 2 -Against this brief survey of the evolution of the social welfare system in Britain in particular, we could evaluate the basic concepts and principles of social welfare systems and social responsibilities in Islam.
An Islamic concept of social justice and social responsibility differs from the western notion of social welfare system in many perspectives. First of all, it has religious dimensions and religious connotations. It is a fundamental religious duty of rich and prosperous Muslims to help poor and needy in the society. Until rich Muslims fulfil these religious duties, their faith and iman will remain incomplete and they will be accountable in the day of judgement for their failure to help the needy and poor in the society. Thus, social responsibilities get religious dimensions and meanings in Islam Read the rest of this entry »
US pledges never to ask Israel for another settlement freeze
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)– Israeli bulldozers were sighted Monday morning chomping through private farmland and homes in the Arab district of Issawiyya in central Jerusalem. The US continues to offer Israel a list of incentives to let peace talks flourish by stopping settlement expansion on Arab lands for another three months.
Issawiyya has been for weeks under attack by Israeli authorities in what locals consider retaliation for clashes that erupted in the district over police abuse targeting Palestinians. Many of the town’s entrances have been closed off and military has been patrolling the main gate in the northeastern part of the town to check Palestinians for identity cards since the conflicts settled down Read the rest of this entry »
“New” LTTE leader Vinayagam exposed as a “pretender”
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Vinayagam the new leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) based in Europe has been exposed as a “pretender”! Information has come to light that claims made by a senior tiger leader in Europe that he was “Colonel” Vinayagam the sea tiger commander are false.
The Vinayagam who has donned the mantle of LTTE leadership in Europe is not the well-known sea tiger Deputy – commander who was at one time third –ranking in sea tiger seniority to Special commander Soosai and commander Chezhiyan
Although the sea tiger leader Vinayagam had been reported killed in a battle at Challai in the Mullaitheevu district on February 4th 2009 the man who surfaced in Europe denied reports of his death and portrayed himself as the “real Mccoy”.
Vinayagam told LTTE circles in Europe that he had been sent to India on a special assignment to India by tiger intelligence chief Pottu Amman before the Mullivaaikkaal debacle and that reports of his death in battle were untrue Read the rest of this entry »
Let’s Build a Great Nation
Text of the speech by President Mahinda Rajapaksa after the swearing in of the second term of office
You are well aware that you now stand on our Motherland that is much greater than what was handed over to me five years ago. There can be no greater satisfaction to a leader than the humble joy of being able to address one’s people after building a much better country than before and successfully carrying out the responsibility handed over to me by the citizens of this country.
I recall how, five years ago on November 19, 2005, I took over this country in this premises. On November 19, when I took over this country it was divided and the Sri Lankan nation was losing this country Read the rest of this entry »
Social Responsibilities and Human welfare developments: an Islamic perspective
Dr Rifai Naleemi
Pert-1-The primary objective of this short article is to highlight and pinpoint the significance of social responsibility and social welfare in Islam. A simple comparison is made between the social welfare and security systems of the west and Islam in order to compare and contrast similarities and dissimilarities.
The main postulate of this short article is that west’s material and socio welfare developments are not unattainable by Muslim countries. This needs hard work, dedication and freedom from political despotism in the Muslim world. This paper is divided into four parts: a). A brief history of social welfare developments in Britain. b) Islamic concepts of social responsibilities and welfare developments. c) The role of Christian missionaries in social welfare developments. d) The role of Islamic movements in social welfare developments Read the rest of this entry »
A few observations about the current political situation in Occupied Palestine
By Khalid Amayreh: 1- The overall situation in occupied Palestine has already reached (or is about to reach) the point of “no return.” This means that we have already passed the chances of peace by. This is mainly attributed to the unrelenting Israeli settlement-expansion policy all over the occupied territories, especially Occupied East Jerusalem.A Road Map to resolve Muslim grievances in Sri Lanka
by M.I.M Mohideen
Muslims throughout Sri Lanka totally rejected Tamil militants’ call for the division of the country and firmly stood for territorial integrity and unity only to face death, loss of properties, livelihood and unlawful displacements. Despite all these sacrifices and sufferings Muslims remain the most discriminated community in Sri Lanka to-day.
Contrary to the common belief that the Muslims float in wealth, most of the Muslims today suffer from extreme poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and inadequate housing which have driven some Muslim youths to take to underworld activities and drug trafficking for survival.
Muslims do not have State Land, employment in state sector, adequate housing and university admissions according to our national ethnic ratio. The university entrance cut off marks for badly neglected Muslim schools are the same for the highly developed Government patronized Sinhalese schools Read the rest of this entry »
‘US has no Afghanistan exit strategy’
Press TV: US President Barack Obama’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan says Washington will pursue a “transition strategy” rather than an exit strategy. Richard Holbrooke stated on Wednesday that the United States has “no exit strategy” for Afghanistan, and instead is implementing a “transition strategy,” the Montreal-based Center for Research on Globalization (CRG) reported on Friday.
Holbrooke is expected to announce the details of this approach at the NATO summit in Lisbon next week. The US point man for Afghanistan and Pakistan said there will be a gradual military drawdown beginning in July 2011, but was ambiguous about the scope and timing Read the rest of this entry »
How US-UK Create ‘Terrorist’ States: Yemen as a Case Study
Yemen Times
Tim Coles
Redress, Al-Jazeerah, CCUN
Published:02-08-2010
How to create your very own terrorist state
Tim Coles takes us through 11 steps necessary to create a “terrorist state”. Using Yemen as a case study, he argues that these steps precisely match US and British policies in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran as well as Yemen to grow “very poisonous seeds”, some which have ripened while others are ripening. So, you want to create your own terrorist state, do you? Follow these simple instructions and you will be able to grow “very poisonous seeds. These seeds are growing now. Some have ripened and others are ripening,” as Eqbal Ahmad explained.
In 2002, the Bush administration’s National Security Strategy (NSS) made it clear that America, with Britain’s help, intends to increase terrorism by chasing terrorists around the world instead of capturing them, or, better still, addressing their grievances – this is the real world, after all, which is dominated by financial interests, so there’s no time for rational solutions here Read the rest of this entry »
STATUE OF TERRORISM – VS – STATUTE OF ANTI-TERROR
S.M.M.BAZEER
Around the world, the threat of terrorism has become common place. Of course, some of these threats substantiate into nothing more than mere gimmicks a few days later. It seems that the West is exaggerating “Islamic” terrorism to curb it’s infringement of individual freedom. When it comes to terrorism the West adopt a lucid discriminatory policy. This was and is synonymous with the LTTE. Amidst such strong sentiments, the notorious LTTE members and sympathizers living in the West are revalidating their claim for nationhood in a democratic fashion.
Whilst a former LTTE legal eagle V.Rudrakumar has been appointed as the premier of the so-called imaginary land of Tamil Eelam in the USA, a statue has been erected for Tamil Chelvan in France on the third anniversary of his death. During the last peace talks (2002-2006) France accommodated the LTTE delegation headed by S. Tamil Chelvan and facilitated the on-going negotiation process between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE Read the rest of this entry »
