Colombo: A group of Sri Lankan Muslim legislators has asked President Mahinda Rajapaksa to act decisively to protect the minority community from a hate campaign carried out by some “Buddhist extremist elements”.
The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, an umbrella organisation of Muslim groups, said 16 out of the 18 Muslim lawmakers in a letter asked the President to act on the hate campaign against the community.
The Muslim MPs who have signed the letter also include some senior ministers who want Rajapaksa to end the hate campaign carried out against Muslims by the Buddhist nationalist groups like the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), Sihala Ravaya and the Ravana Balaya.
“Muslim parliamentarians wish to bring to your excellency’s kind attention the continued hate campaign, intimidation and threats to Muslims, carried out by some Buddhist extremist elements,” the MPs said in the letter.
The letter stated that the Buddhist extremist groups have been targeting Muslim places of worship, Halal food, Muslim attire and the resettlement of Muslims expelled from the north by the LTTE in 1990. In the absence of any substantial support for their resettlement, the Muslim religious, political and civil society leadership has been soliciting support for their cause from donors of Muslim countries and individuals.
There has been some positive response from some of the donors and a number of houses have been constructed with their support, the letter said. In recent days, direct contributions towards resettlement of Muslims from overseas had raised suspicion among the majority Buddhist groups.
Last week, the activists of the BBS stormed the offices of a senior Muslim minister. President Rajapaksa responded by setting up of a special police unit to deal with complaints of religion-based harassment. However, the police unit’s appointment is being seen as coming too late. The Muslims have lodged many complaints of harassment agaisnt Buddhist groups. (PTI)
