Muslims Never Supported Separatism or Terrorism - M.M. Zuhair, President’s Counsel

Naleem Hadjiar Memorial Oration

SLMC weaned away Muslim youth joining LTTE post July 83

M.M. Zuhair, PC delivers the Naleem Hadjiar Memorial Oration 

Tamil tigers would have achieved ‘Eelam’ within the first 15 years of the 1975 killing of Jaffna Mayor Alfred Duraiyappah, if Mohammed Hussain Mohammed Ashraff from the East did not form the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and wean away the eastern Muslim youth, who frustrated with national parties, were at that time joining the LTTE in numbers following the July 83 riots. Sri Lankans should not forget that the Muslim community never supported terrorism or the division of the country and it was the LTTE’s failure to get Muslim backing that led to the Muslims being driven out of the North in 1980 and getting massacred in their hundreds in the East. This failure was a major blow to the LTTE.

This was stated by former Member of Parliament M.M. Zuhair President’s Counsel delivering the Naleem Hadjiar Memorial Oration at the Postal Headquarters Auditorium, Colombo.

Speaking to a packed audience on the topic ‘National Role of the Muslims of Sri Lanka’, Zuhair said ‘much later in 2004, Karuna Amman broke the eastern Tamils away from the LTTE, a significant contribution that helped the armed forces to effectively win the war, but Karuna Amman would never have broken the LTTE from the middle if Muslims had, earlier on, supported the separatist struggle and paved the way for ‘Eelam’. The Muslims played a major national role at a huge cost to the community, in not supporting the division of the country or the LTTE terrorism and that must be recognized as a more significant national contribution than the split of the LTTE. Muslims must also remember that if not for the patriotic role of our leaders and the people, any support for separatism would have unfolded July 83, part two, on the Muslims throughout the island.

Historical research done by historians such as Dr. Sirima Kiribamune and Dr. Lorna Dewaraja had established that Sri Lankan Muslims had fought along with Mayadunne, the patriotic King of Sitawaka when Don Juan Dharmapala joined hands with the invading forces of the Portuguese and fought battles to topple Mayadunne. It is also a historically established fact that contingents of Indian Muslim soldiers led by three Muslim Generals Pachi Marikkar, Kunchely Marikkar and Ali Ibrahim fought along with Mayadunne’s patriotic forces to resist, though unsuccessfully, the invading forces. A large number of Muslims including the three Generals sacrificed their lives in the several battles that took place in the early part of the 16th century under Mayadunne’s command. These were patriotic contributions of the Muslims to the country that must be remembered and honoured, Zuhair said.

The former Lankan ambassador to Iran said the late M I M Naleem Hadjiar; the well-known gem merchant from Beruwala had humble beginnings. He made his fortune here and spent almost the entirety of his wealth on the poor throughout the island without religious or racial bias and when he passed away on 27th September 2005 he had given away to the poor almost his entire wealth. He did not hide his fortunes in foreign banks or invest overseas on securities.

Zuhair said there were well documented historical records, unearthed by reputed Sri Lankan historians which showed that Muslims were living as a community in Sri Lanka as far back as 13 centuries ago, while a spokesman for the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) had claimed recently that Muslims came to Sri Lanka only five centuries ago. These records show further that Muslims did not come to Sri Lanka as invaders or to capture, exploit or rule the country. According to Dr. Lorna Dewaraja the Sinhala kings of early times found the services of the Muslims indispensable for the welfare of the people. They were not mere businessmen but had expertise in imports and exports, shipping and even internal transport and had also contributed in the fields of diplomacy and defense according to those historians. All that was possible also because of the understanding and goodwill that prevailed amongst the major communities, he added.

Dr. M A M Shukry, Director Jamia Naleemia, Beruwala presided over the event organized by the Alumni Association of the Jamia Naleemia. President of the Alumni Association As-Sheik Abdul Razick made the welcome speech

- The Island (November 9, 2014)