Marking a progressive move in Muslim personal law the cabinet today approved amendments to the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) thereby stating the age of marriage of Muslim females should be of 18 years of age, spokesperson to the Minister of Postal Services & Muslim Religious Affairs Abdul Haleem confirmed.
Cabinet today gave the green light to 11 amendments forwarded to it by Minister Haleem and Justice Minsiter Thalatha Atukorale.
Amendments include age of marriage, registration of the Nikah requiring the registration and Nikah to be taken place at the same time, role of a male wali, consent signature of the bride making it mandatory, laws on polygamy, compensation such as lump sum compensation for talaq (divorce), dowry, maintenance and custody of children and all amendments agreed upon by consensus in the MMDA report.
Other amendments included that “persons to be appointed as Quazis, Temporary Quazis and Special Quazis, should be Attorneys-at-law having a sound knowledge of Muslim law”.
With the intention of making the Quazi Board more accessible to the provinces it was further proposed to redesignate the Board of Quazis as the “Quazi Appellate Court”.
“That its Chairman should be a full-time Judicial Officer of such class and grade as may be determined by the Judicial Service Commission with such qualifications and attainments that may be prescribed by the Judicial Service Commission.”
The recommendation to increase the number of members of the Board from the current 5 to 9 with the hope to facilitate more regular sittings in at least three outstation centres was also approved.
Proposed amendments will now be forwarded to the Department Legal Draftsman.
Sinhala_Man / August 21, 2019
I’m not a Muslim, so dare I comment?
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Well, I have been commenting on this subject many times for the past four years or so. It would have been so good had this been done long before Easter 2019. There ought to be no connection between all these political events. Unfortunately, there probably are.
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I hope that the Muslim M.Ps show whole-hearted support for this. And also Muslim men. I’m sure that most Muslim women will be very happy with the change (or will it be changes?).
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As much as possible we, non-Muslims, must show that although we were concerned about the Human Rights aspect of this, we do not want to interfere with what goes on in a normal, peace-loving Muslim family.
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I hope that this comment of mine, posted early, persuades all readers to make non-provocative comments.
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Ajay / August 21, 2019
It is indeed a big relief to know child marriage is now illegal in Sri Lanka. Next steps should be the banning of child tuition and child ordination.
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Amarasiri / August 22, 2019
Ajay,
“Next steps should be the banning of child tuition and child ordination.”
Child ordination? You will have the Sinhala ”Buddhist” monks running amok, as almost ALL were ordained when they were children playing with toys and friends, per Buddha’s tradition of ordaining his son Rahula was 7-years old, 2,500 years ago.
More or less the same argument is used by the Ulama, on the marriage of Aisha at age 9 to Prophet Mohamed, 1,400 years ago. Why not raise the age of ordination to 18 as well? It will save a lot of child monks, Samaneras, from sexual abuse by the senior monks as well.
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Rationalist / August 22, 2019
Amarasiri:-
What a Brilliant Suggestion! Age of Monk Ordination Should have been Legalised years ago! It is a Form of Child Slavery!
Superstition about an Inauspicious Horoscope led to the Procedure of Child Ordination!
Can a Child of 6 or 7 years even begin to Understand the Buddha’s Teaching?
Rational and Up to Date Education should have eliminated this Belief by now !
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Richard / August 22, 2019
I agree, if its to be fair …………….the law must transcend to other religions as well, otherwise it will seem Islam has been targeted by interested parties.
Minister Thalatha Athukorale, over to you for reply.
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D. P. / August 22, 2019
Amarasiri,
I also like the idea of setting a minimum age limit for ordination but I don’t expect politicians to touch this issue anytime soon. Therefore, the better way to get this done is to keep the debate alive in forums like this. As I have pointed out before, child ordination is one of the main reason for Buddhist monks to lose meaning of monk-hood. I also believe that this should be a major concern of Buddhist monks themselves; they should know the best for the continuity of Buddhism than the laymen including politicians.
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In any case, I wonder why so called liberals fail to utter a single word at their political rally of historical symbolism about this horrible abusive practice of which the victims are voiceless children & parents pressed in poverty. This is also corruption & abuse of power. As matter of fact, I don’t think that any liberal movement can address major issues of corruption & abuse of power at higher social levels successfully without addressing directly to its social basis as a whole; for, what happens at upper level has it roots at lover levels.
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Eagle Eye / August 22, 2019
Sinhala Buddhists are capable of managing their own affairs. We do not need advice from descendants of slaves brought by colonial parasites, representatives of Evangelists who are working to destroy Buddhism and Sinhala Buddhist culture or any other dumbos. Please mind your own business.
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If you guys want to advise on sexual abuse of children, go and advise Christian clergy because they have the worst record in this field.
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Amarasiri / August 22, 2019
Eagle Eye,
“Sinhala Buddhists are capable of managing their own affairs” ??
What is the mean IQ of Sinhala-“Buddhists “? 79 or 78?
What is the mean IQ of Singaporeans? 108.
Their GDP per capita is about 7 times that of Sinhala-Buddhist Sri Lanka.
With a population of about 6 million, Singapore has about 3 million people above an IQ of 108.
Sinhala-Buddhist Sri Lanka, with a population of about 22 million, has about 440,000 with an IQ above 108.
Most of the monks have IQs closet to the mean, 79. Being ordained as a 7-year old child, lack of parental love, especially motherly live, sibling love, and lack of play time and normal childhood, takes a toll, and they end up as misfits, being abused by the senior monks, and frequently they go berserk, when they grow up.
Singaporeans seem to be capable of managing their own affairs, because they are not Sinhala-“Buddhists”.
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Eagle Eye / August 22, 2019
“What is the mean IQ of Sinhala-“Buddhists “? 79 or 78?”
They do not give IQ for Sinhala Buddhists. IQ for Sri Lanka is low due to inclusion of Demalu in the sample. If IQ is measured for Sinhalayo definitely it will be higher.
Para Demalu could not colonize Sinhale despite 52 invasions because Sinhalayo are smarter than Demalu.
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“Most of the monks have IQs closet to the mean, 79.”
On what basis you make this statement? Like your DNA assumption, here too you are making an assumption.
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In Singapore high IQ is because of Chinese. It will be higher if Indians are not included in the sample.
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Amarasiri / August 23, 2019
Eagle Eye,
Hypothesis:
“They do not give IQ for Sinhala Buddhists. IQ for Sri Lanka is low due to inclusion of Demalu in the sample. If IQ is measured for Sinhalayo definitely it will be higher.”
Let’s test the Para IQ Hypothesis.
Demographics of Sri Lanka
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Sri_Lanka
National IQ Scores – Country Rankings
https://www.photius.com/rankings/national_iq_scores_country_ranks.html
The intelligence scores came from work carried out earlier this decade by Richard Lynn, a British psychologist, and Tatu Vanhanen, a Finnish political scientist, who analysed IQ studies from 113 countries, and from subsequent work by Jelte Wicherts, a Dutch psychologist.
Countries are ranked highest to lowest national IQ score.
United Kingdom. IQ 100
Netherlands, IQ 100
Portugal, IQ 95
Malaysia, IQ 92
Indonesia, IQ 87
Iraq, IQ 87
Yemen, IQ 85
Pakistan IQ 84
India, IQ 82
Maldives, IQ 81
Sri Lanka, IQ 79
Population of Sri Lanka by ethnic group 1881 to 2012
Sinhalese 74.9% IQ=X To be estimated for validity/invalidity of Para-IQ Hypothesis
Sri Lankan Tamils 11.15%, IQ =82, that of India above.
Sri Lankan Moors 9.30%, IQ =82 , that of India above.
Indian Tamils 4.12%, IQ =82, that of India above.
Sri Lankan Malays 0.22%, IQ =89.5, that of Malaysia and Indonesia 87, average
Burghers/ Eurasian 0.19%, IQ = 95, that of the Portuguese mainly. With Dutch, 100.
Others, Pakistanis, Chinese, Middle Easterners etc , 0.13%, IQ =85.estimated.
Sri Lanka, IQ =79., The equation for estimating the IQ =X, of Para-Sinhala,
0.749X +0.115×82 + 0.0930×82 + 0.0412×82 + 0.0022×89.5 + 0.0019×95 + 0.0013×85 = 79
0.749X +20.6353 = 79
0.749X =79- 20.6353 = 58.3647
Therefore, X, the IQ of Para-Sinhala = 58.3647/0.749 = 77.9235 = 78.
Para-Sinhala IQ 78 is lower than that of the Indians, Tamils ,Para-Demalu, IQ 82, by 4 IQ points.
Relatively Sinhalayas are Modayas
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Amarasiri / August 23, 2019
Eagle Eye,
AMARASRI: “Most of the monks have IQs closet to the mean, 79.”
EAGLE EYE: “On what basis you make this statement? Like your DNA assumption, here too you are making an assumption.”
1. Basis is that the mean IQ of the Paras, comprising mostly Para-Sinhala Buddhists, as measured is 79. Para-Tamils are not much different, may be a few pouts higher.
2. The families who “donate” their children to be child monks, Samaneras would not “donate” their brightest children. They simply are too valuable, and most likely are average children. Instead of sending to a “Madama”, a reform school, they send to the Temples.
3. Just look at the intelligence and intellect of the Para-Sinhala “Buddhist” Monks. They do not even know Buddhism. Ganasara, Rayna and several others are examples. Go and test their IQs and DNA, especially mitochondrial DNA. It is the data, and observation, that separate the illusions and myths from the truths. See how Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler arrived at the Heliocentric model truth with data. Simpletons have a hard time with sorting out the data.
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Eagle Eye / August 25, 2019
Amanasiri,
These are your assumptions that have no scientific validity. Same like your DNA assumptions.
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Amarasiri / August 25, 2019
Eagle Eye,
One has to start from known observations and data, and build with the new data. Then use reason and the scientific methods to test the hypothesis.
Nature has really confused many. Even today, 25 percent of Americans, mean IQ 99, believe that the Sun goes around the Earth, the ancient beliefs based on illusion. The percentage is different for different countries.
Forty four percent of Americans believe that evolution is not true, it is intelligent design, based on their religious brainwashings. However, modern genetics tells otherwise.
For the Para-Sinhala, some like Prof. Raj Somadeva and those Simplicos who follow such arguments, despite molecular genetics data from mitochondrial DNA data, are trying for cultural and political reasons making claims that the Para-Sinhala are the original natives like the Native Veddah Aethho.
Their myths are being busted by data, just like the myth of the geocentric model was busted by Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton and Foucault.
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Muhandiram / August 23, 2019
Interestingly, the President of Singapore, elected Unopposed in 2017, is a Muslim lady named Halima Yacob who wears Hijab.
Population wise, Muslims rank 4th with 14% behind Budhists (34%), Christians (18% and Athiests/non-religious (16%).
Imagine a non-Sinhala Buddhist being elected the President in Sri lanka!
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Amarasiri / August 23, 2019
Muhandiram,
The mean IQ of Para-Sinhala Para-“Buddhists “ is 78, from the post above by Amarasiri. The mean IQ of Singaporeans is 108. They can think, they respect religious freedom, it is a personal view, each person goes to his/her Heaven Hell, Nirvana etc. based on their beliefs, true or not.
Sinhala “Buddhism” is Mara-ism, practices hate, and is a distortion and corruption of Buddhism and is an insult to the Buddha.
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Mohamed the Atheist / August 25, 2019
Amarasiri,
Your comments are always some of the best on CT! I’m sure you know why Lanka has a low IQ. If you look at world statistics, it shows that the most religious people are the stupidest people. That is because most organised religions require people to believe in nonsense without thinking. The way to increase your IQ is to use your brain and think critically. But conservative followers of organised religion are afraid to use their brain because they think their god will punish them for thinking critically. Islam is the worst offender in that respect. Many Muslims in the modern day realise that child marriage and female genital mutilation is harmful but they refuse to speak out against it fearing their god. By the way, the correlation between religion and stupidity also exists in America where they have a religious area called the Bible Belt. Most residents of the Bible Belt are very religious and very poor and stupid. If we look around the world, the evidence is very clear: religion = poverty and stupidity. (religions like the native religion of the Veddho are OK because those religions don’t tell you how to think, and they don’t threaten you with hell if you think the wrong thing)
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Amarasiri / August 25, 2019
Mohamed the Atheist,
What you write makes sense. In fact there is support, data that shows that the more intelligent you are less likely to be religious. Go to You tube and search under Neil de Grasse on religion God and science., and there is data in support.
It makes sense. If you can’t think, you let others think for you. The others may be the religious leaders like the priests, monks, Ulama and also politicians. So, far no conclusive and definite evidence for Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, Limbo, Nirvana, Nibbana etc.
On the other hand there is fossil and molecular biology and genetics evidence for evolution. Simplicos who cannot think even presented with definitive data, cannot think and cannot the brainwashings.
Wonder why the mean IQ of Sri Lankans is 79? They say, the Government debt service is more than the Government revenue. Slippery slope. This is what low IQ , racism and intolerance does to a nation. It took 71 years for the imbeciles to get there.
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Mohamed the Atheist / August 26, 2019
Amarasiri,
I have watched many videos by Neil Tyson. But I think most Lankans don’t know him. I wish we Sri Lankans can soon increase our IQ. You know… some men think with their brains, some men think with their hearts, and some men think with their private parts. Religious conservatives don’t think with their heads, their hearts, or their privates. Religious conservatives think with their ancient 1,000 year old books. That is why religious people are so stupid. Intelligence needs to be constantly updated. And if people stopped updating their intelligence 1,500 or 2,000 years ago, they will naturally fall behind in their IQ.
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Amarasiri / August 26, 2019
Mohamed, the Atheist,
The mean IQ of Sri Lankans is 79. Only about 1.9 percent have IQs above 109, about 420,000, and they are swamped by those IQs below 109, about 21.6 million. So, the religious leaders, monks, Ulama and Priests with a mean IQ of 79 is leading them.
They should do IQ tests for religious leaders, and publish it, including the politicians, do that they could be ranked.
Until then, the majority of grass eaters , Mee-Harak, will revere other grass eaters and prostrate to them.
May be CRISPER technology can be used to increase the IQs of the grass eaters, and put the Monk, Ulama and the Pttiests out of business.
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Mohamed / August 22, 2019
Eagle Eye, “Sinhala Buddhists are capable of managing their own affairs” – You’re talking about hanky-panky & illicit love affairs..he..he
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Mohamed the Atheist / August 25, 2019
Eagle Eye,
You’re absolutely right- Xtians have the worst record of child sex abuse. But some Buddhist monks do that too. Imagine a supermarket thief pointing the finger at a bank robber and saying “He is the ‘real’ criminal. I only steal food from the supermarket. He robs banks!” The reality is that both of them are thieves. Pointing the finger at someone else does not remove the blame for your own mistakes. We all make mistakes, so we needn’t feel all that terrible about it, but we do need to correct our mistakes. If you truly love your race and your people, then you should feel bad for the innocent Sinhala child monks who get sexually abused. I’m not Sinhala but I feel bad for those child monks because they’re innocent children and our society should protect those children.
I don’t mean this in a bad way, but sometimes I wonder if hardline Sinhala Buddhists actually care about their people or do they just care about their ideology
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Hamlet / August 26, 2019
Eagle Eye:-
I, Hamlet am a Sinhalese and a Buddhist, and I am trying to put across an Intelligent Point of View, not One Based on Ethnicity and/or Religious Belief!
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Amarasiri / August 22, 2019
Minister Haleem and Justice Minsiter Thalatha Atukorale,
RE: Cabinet Nod For Muslim Marriage Law Amendments, Puts Marriageable Age At 18
“Cabinet today gave the green light to 11 amendments forwarded to it by Minister Haleem and Justice Minsiter Thalatha Atukorale.”
Congratulations on this Kamal Ataturk moment. Congratulations to the Judge Saleem Masoof Reform Committee for making headway despite the obstructions of the ACJU Ulama, to keep 7th century tribal customs alive at the expenses of the women and the girls.
Strike the iron while it is hot. This is actually a human and personal rights issue, a constitutional issue. For the Ulama of ACJU, women and girls are not persons, but things to be owned and traded per their interpretations.
Do not underestimate the Ulama. They have brainwashed the Muslim masses claiming that only they are the people of knowledge, and the Muslims must follow them, as well as the rulers, historically. That is why this Kamal Ataturk moment should be pushed through, before the Ulama regroup and counter the reforms.
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Fathima / August 23, 2019
Good move at last. But this is not enough. Islamic registration of marriage can still happen for under aged boys and girls. All those who take part in it should be made punishable.
At last some dignity for Muslim girls.
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Real Revolutionist / August 24, 2019
You’re right; a tiny faction of what’s expected.
Why don’t Muslim women frequent with non-Muslim women?
Men’s grip?
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soma / August 24, 2019
After 1400 years.
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Soma
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Amarasiri / August 23, 2019
Sinhala Man,
“I am not a Muslim, so dare I comment?”
Are you a human being with 46 chromosomes and with your chromosome # 2 being formed from two primate ancestor chromosomes by fusion?
Are you are Sri Lankan Citizen?
The above two factors sits above the unproven religious beliefs and traditions, to be used as a basis for discrimination and abuse of Sri Lankan Muslim girls and women.
The same statement applies to the abuse of children forced into child monkhood at age 7, based on religious beliefs and traditions.
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Don Stanley / August 24, 2019
Muslims and their marriage laws are a distraction from the fact that the Saudi Arabia funded land grab to turn Lanka into a US military base, and US-Saudi Economic Terrorism as we saw at Easter Sunday is on going.
US Special Operations Forces that own an operate Islamic State in the Middle East and all the narratives and fake news about IS, continue to use Muslims and particularly Corrupt Muslim Ministers to purchase lands in the Mannar -Willpattu, Colombo-BIA- Trincomalee corridor and in the Eastern province and other areas where the US wants logistics hub- air bases. Meanwhile they distract with the MMDA reform and Muslim women garb question.
This is how ethno-religious identity politics is being Weaponized by USA, to cause Muslim-Buddhist- Tamil conflicts and economic terrorism in Sri Lanka, land grab and set up US bases using SOFA and MCC too. The economic terrorism continue with efforts by Nomura to crash the rupee again as well.
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Richard / August 21, 2019
Sinhala_Man, in this day and age, where everyone understands human rights and has the right to it, must be able to make his or her choice without being forced to a decision by anyone else. Having said this I believe our country must be governed by one law, in which one is considered an adult only on reaching 18years. Before, 18 you are a child (minor) and as such should not take on the responsibilities of an adult, which includes marriage.
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Sinhala_Man / August 21, 2019
Thanks, Richard.
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So you’re saying EXACTLY the same as I did. Only the words used are different.
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Navin / August 21, 2019
A great move, finally. It took so long for some people to give Muslim girls some rights, and protection, from child abuse. How about the other issues? Hope it will not take 8 years to get tot that done too. These are not special favors, these are basic rights that other women in Sri Lanka already have benefitted from.
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The Oracle / August 21, 2019
This would bring about a significant change to the lives of hundreds of thousands of children who would otherwise have been given in marriage in their early teens with hardly any education, and deprived of enjoying their childhood.
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Steve / August 22, 2019
The Oracle
We are sure you are talking about child marriages among all communities.
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Steve / August 21, 2019
It is a good amendment . But who is going to police this law ?. Many people in rural areas don’t get legally married but live together. Nothing stops the Muslims from doing so. Consenting parents and consenting boys and girls would not worry much about this law.
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Chitra / August 21, 2019
The village gossips will be active and report any child marriages.
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Steve / August 22, 2019
Chitra
True, the village gossips will report Sinhalese child marriages ; the estate gossips will report Tamil child marriages on plantations; but the Law will be Blind. So will it be with Muslim child marriages. Anyway a few thousand bucks to the cops will take care of the rest. This cabinet decision is timed as an election gimmick to fool the modayas.
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Sinhala_Man / August 21, 2019
Steve,
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Your comments are usually intelligent.
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Here, you have said, “Many people in rural areas don’t get legally married but live together.”
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That doesn’t apply only to Muslims, does it?
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And why confine the application of this to rural areas in Sri Lanka? It’s much commoner in “Western Countries”, not to speak of Donald Trump’s erstwhile pal, Jeffry Epstein abusing kids, which actually is very much worse.
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See what is possible in an America gaol:
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https://www.foxnews.com/us/jeffrey-epstein-arranged-sex-teenager-work-release-palm-beach-jail-lawsuit
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My comment is ostensibly in mitigation of anything that has been done by Sri Lankan Muslims, but I think that “Lankan” (below) has got it more right than me:
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” Please close the door of discussion now.”
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Steve / August 22, 2019
Sinhala_Man,
Absolutely correct. I worked in Bentota many decades ago and saw many Sinhalese child marriages, even the daughter of a colleague of mine who was still in school. This happens among all communities and to target the Muslims at this stage is just playing politics.
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shankar / August 21, 2019
Long overdue.As i’am now nearing the end i was shitting scared what if i was born as a muslim girl in sri lanka in my next birth.Now i can sleep in peace knowing that i won’t be forced to have oral.anal and sexual intercourse when i am just a child on the pretext of being ‘married’ in this paradise,i mean muslim pedophile’s paradise.I can also go to school and study wihout cooking and bearing children.
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Chitra / August 21, 2019
Colombo Telegraph, you should monitor racist comments like this that belong in the gutters.
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Sinhala_Man / August 22, 2019
Chitra,
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I was shocked at that writing myself, when I first saw it many hours ago. Shall we say it’s unnecessarily scatological, and pornographic?
.
shankar seems to deliberately provoke. He can’t be unaware of punctuation rules.
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However, what it states is what the Muslim girl/woman really had to face.
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Chitra / August 22, 2019
“But if Children’s Affairs Minister Tissa Karaliyadda is to be believed, child abuse in religious establishments by both Buddhist and Christian clergy in Sri Lanka is rampant.
Yet according to figures from Sri Lanka’s National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), only three Buddhist monks have been convicted of child abuse in Sri Lanka in recent history.
One of those died from poison he drank after he was sentenced for raping a girl aged 13 in 2005.
Research carried out by the BBC Sinhala service has revealed that over the last decade, nearly 110 Buddhist monks have been charged for sexual and physical assaults on minors in Sri Lanka.
Many of these cases – especially those of a sexual nature – were barely reported by the Sri Lankan media and seldom resulted in convictions.” BBC
It is strange how Islamaphobes only look at those they hate, and ignore the others. What do you think those poor minors had to face?
What goes on in temples is under reported.
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shankar / August 22, 2019
sinhala_man
you don’t seem to watch pornography like me it seems.Is is because you are scared of your wife?If you do you will know that porn and sex are different though indeed porn depicts sexual acts.Porn has nothing to do with real sex or with even love.
real sex is not just about sexual satisfaction,but about love and affection.Can you imagine a 13 year old girl forced into a marriage having these in there lives.
ps.what is shocking is not what i write,but the fact that this depraved practice has been going on for decades in our country and now only we are seeing a nod,god knows what that word nod means cos we are going to see a lot of resistance from the mullahs,imams and pedophiles who will fight to the end.
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shankar / August 22, 2019
chitra
you don’t know what racism is.Don’t cry wolf wolf because when the wolf when there is no wolf because when the wolf appears nobody will take you seriously.That is why the word racism which is a very deadly disease has to be used judiciously instead of frivolously like you do.
truth hurts,but what i say is the truth and i don’t mince my words.Why should i?For too long has this shameless practice gone on and to think that though the cabinet has given its nod,it has to still go through the imams and other muslims is a joke if in the 21st century a schoolgirl is unable to study and have a career.
ps.education is the key to upliftment of the muslim community.For boys as well as girls a good education is a must otherwise the community will be left behind.
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Lankan / August 21, 2019
This is good and TC has been focusing on this for a long time. It is a victory for its campaign too. but please close the door of discussion now ..
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JD / August 21, 2019
Thanks to Pivot TO ASIA Program, muslim women got some democracy. Even Islamic countries are more democratic than the Wahhabi Sri lanka. All over the world, in every country it had been the same. So, the PIVOT TO ASIA Program follows the same. that is decision (Ethnic, religious, regional politics) is part of the game to confuse the country and win what they want.
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John / August 22, 2019
Al-taqqia!!!!!
Cunning Muslims are deceiving Sinhala-Buddhists once again. Muslims have allowed amendments to MMDA with cunning conditions. Meaning, Muslims can still marry underage minors.
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Charith / August 22, 2019
Most states in the US allow underage marriages, a Christian nation.
You are an anti Muslim troll, spreading misinformation and hatred.
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Spring Koha / August 22, 2019
Charith,
Let’s not worry about the US or the rest of the world. The sensible thing here in Sri Lanka in this day and age is to allow a young woman a chance to make an independent decision (without being forced to).
This is a golden opportunity for all our young women.
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Muhandiram / August 23, 2019
And the United States is the most advanced and powerful Democratic country in the world that those who are so worried about girls under 18 years being given in marriage!!
And most, or all, of them wouldn’t miss a chance to migrate to the US!!!
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Sarrij / August 22, 2019
Finally some sense; better late than never. Justice Marsoof did a fine job under very difficult circumstances and this needs recognition by the Muslim community as a whole and a BIG thank you.
Now is the job of the Parliament to make it the law of the country as soon as possible,
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Sarrij / August 25, 2019
Nothing in SL parliament can be definitive unless it is voted on and signed by the speaker. Things move at a snail’s pace and there is still the possibility that nothing definitely positive does happen; the ACJU is a cunning lot.
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K.A. Sumanasekera / August 22, 2019
Will Dr Ranil and his Cabinet now amend the Thesawalamai in Jaffna Peninsula?….
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shankar / August 22, 2019
sumane
thesavalamai,kandyan law,muslim law and all the other bloody laws should be scrapped and one single law for everybody that is clear and easily understandable by everyone called srilankans created once and for all.It is a real acharu here.
ps.don’t you think someone who is having a lot of free time till he is 35 like namal the lowyer should be tasked with carrying this out by his good buddy the manioc man.
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Kugan / August 22, 2019
K.A.Sumanasekara
In Jaffna we still living under PTA law if Thesawalami would have been active your zero persenel no chance of acquire so many acres of land from
poor.
You also like our patriotic holding another citizenship and save the what
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Native Vedda / August 22, 2019
KASmaalam K.A. Sumanasekera
–
What is Thesawalamai and why do you want Dr Ranil and his cabinet to Amend it?
How did it adversely affect you?
Why hasn’t it been amended by crooks and clan in the past 71 years of Sinhala/Buddhist rule particularly during the fascist reign between 2005 and 2015?
–
Please avoid your usual crab walk sideways and respond to my specific questions with your specific answer.
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Native Vedda / August 28, 2019
KASmaalam K.A. Sumanasekera
–
“Will Dr Ranil and his Cabinet now amend the Thesawalamai in Jaffna Peninsula?….”
–
What is Thesawalamai ?
Gotabhaya is short of $2,500.
He needs this amount to apply for renunciation of US citizenship.
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Kugan / August 22, 2019
It should be done to child monks as well .the minimum age should be 18.
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shankar / August 22, 2019
kugan
totally agree with you.Child exploitation and denying childhood rights to education ,play and fun should be stopped immediately in this shitty society.
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Kugan / August 22, 2019
Could you pls who ever put 2 thumbs down pls explain why it’s wrong or you may have put your children in that hands why it’s justifiable for some other innocent children
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JD / August 22, 2019
Sri Lank is still not a democratic country and Sri lanka has so many different laws for the same people. This is called Hybrid war. Use different things to confuse people.
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shankar / August 22, 2019
“Use different things to confuse people.”
and exploit them.This is a society that exploits people.That is the ultimate objective.
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Suranga Gunasekera / August 22, 2019
It’s time Muslim ladies got a chance to decide on their own future. It’s definitely progressive, but not enough.
..
The person accused should be able to choose which court the hearings should take place.
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If the accused is not a practicing Muslim, it’s not fair to judge them according to Muslim laws.
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Mohamed the Atheist / August 22, 2019
Mr. Gunasekera,
You are so right! Just because a person has a Muslim name and is born to Muslim parents, it doesn’t mean that they believe in the nonsensical religion of Islam. So we shouldn’t be forced to follow Muslim laws if we don’t actually practise the religion.
by the way, Malaysia also has one law for Muslims and a separate law for non-Muslims and the government of Malaysia considers all ethnic Malays to be Muslim, regardless of what they actually believe.
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Suranga Gunasekera / August 22, 2019
?
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Sarrij / August 23, 2019
M the A.
You don’t make sense; there is no sense in following Muslim law if you don’t believe in Islam; a name does not matter although it could be a bit confusing. What Malaysia does is irrelevant.
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soma / August 22, 2019
Muslim women are approaching towards equality. Under the Islamic system value of a woman is one-fourth that of a man. In the paradise it is far worse one-seventieth! The best seems to be living as a minority in a non Muslim majority country. It is no small achievement after 1400 years. Muslim women in Sri Lanka should be infinitely grateful to us.
Congratulations.
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Soma
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Native Vedda / August 22, 2019
somass
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” It is no small achievement after 1400 years. Muslim women in Sri Lanka should be infinitely grateful to us.”
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Us, who?
By the way when are you going to liberate (or give freedom to) the Sinhalese from Sinhala/Buddhism and Buddhism from Sinhala/Buddhists?
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Amarasiri / August 22, 2019
Soma,
Can you get going on a project to prevent 7-year old children being ordained as child monks, Samaneras, to be sexually abused by senior monks?
Apparently, this tradition stated with Buddha , 2500 years ago, ordaining his 7-year old son Rahula, when he asked for his kingdom.
So thousands of 7-year olds get ordained when they ask for their childhood and friends.
Is this Sinhala-Buddhism?
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Sarrij / August 23, 2019
S.
Total hogwash.
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Lester / August 22, 2019
Why are there no human rights champions speaking out against “marriage” of underage girls? In fact, this is not “marriage” but rape that is given sanction by Muslim law. What does a 12 or 13 year old girl know about intercourse with a fully grown (30+) year old man? This is the kind of behavior Gnanasara Thero and BBS were speaking against. The other one is “halal”, in which the animal is forced to bleed to death after its throat is cut.
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Sinhala_Man / August 22, 2019
Dear Lester, John, and Ruwan,
.
Are you really responding to the news item that we have been given? It looks as though what you are asking for, is coming through.
.
Please compare the tone of your comments , with my earlier comments, and those by others, especially by Chithra, Steve, Lankan and Soma. Also, as Mohamed the Atheist says, we should not stereotype going by the names that people carry.
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Once more, I’m appealing to you: please, let us now focus on other subjects since Muslim women have achieved what they wanted. Congratulate them as Soma has done, and follow the advice given by Lankan in “closing” this particular door.
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It is definitely election time now. Sumane, let us postpone any discussion of Thesawalami Law for a quieter time. Let us all do as much as possible to encourage rational thinking so that people may vote sensibly.
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Of course, that may be the last thing that some politicians want to see happening!
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I’m writing this comment at a time when 31 responses are on display. These are not too bad, but after this, I will mind my own business irrespective of what comes on in another hour.
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Chitra / August 22, 2019
They are part of the extremist group that spread hatred and anti Muslim propaganda, so that innocent doctors will be locked up, and innocent people will have their homes and businesses attacked, or they are the rabble rousers who will provoke mobs into attacks Mosques, and even killing people. Some have been trained to make comments like that. Some may be in the payroll of nations who like to cause violence in our country, so that they can sell their weapons, just like in Myanmar. They are the scum of the earth.
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Lester / August 22, 2019
Sinhala Man,
MMDA does not address the fundamental issue, which is Shariah Law. This law dates back to the 7th century, when women had very few rights. Muslims follow 2 sets of laws, Shariah and the common law of the land, but give preference to Shariah first. They have their own courts and judges (qadis) to interpret the Shariah, not only in S. Lanka but wherever they live. Most non-Muslims do not know about Shariah, because Muslims use it settle disputes among themselves. There is a lot more happening with Shariah than child marriages. The solution is not MMDA but to ban the Shariah courts altogether. Everyone in the country should follow only 1 set of laws.As a final step, MMDA will not help Muslim women. First of all, many of them will not hear about MMDA. Secondly, if they try to follow MMDA instead of Shariah, they will be expelled from their families. Even if some Muslim ministers give support to MMDA, Muslims are still giving preference to Shariah.
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Sinhala_Man / August 27, 2019
Dear Lester,
.
Thanks for your sincere effort to drag me back to reality. Yes, looking at the exchanges below between Seyyed Quraish Moulana, and others, including decent guys like shankar is showing himself to be, I’m wondering whether all this could be true, or whether the guy having to write all that is actually a non-Muslim trying to create mischief.
.
Seyyed Quraish Moulana
.
There is a warning here from a man who ought to know, Dr Ameer Ali, and whom I personally have come to respect, that the concern you express is not misplaced. However, what can non-Muslims like us do about it? Directly, precious little, as I stated in my first comment.
.
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/unfinished-mmda-battle/
.
What I have to hope is that the legislation will go through even in its imperfect form, and that we have new governments emerging that will insist that there be one law for every Sri Lankan. “We” cannot monitor everything that goes on in a home (following whatever cult); one has to hope that laws are enforced impartially by those whose business it is to do that. What we don’t want to see is individual non-Muslims taking the law into their own hands.
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Native Vedda / August 22, 2019
Lester
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“Why are there no human rights champions speaking out against “marriage” of underage girls?”
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Please pull your head from wherever it is now and look around you:
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The United Nations and the EU have also urged the government to amend the MMDA.
Women’s Action Network (WAN),
Sri Lanka Muslim Women’s Conference (SLMWC)
Former Minister Ferial Ashraff
Muslim Personal Law Reform Action Group (MPLRAG)
Attorney-at-Law Ermiza Tegal
Jezima Ismail
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Lester / August 23, 2019
Native Genius,
1.8 billion Muslims in the world. Luckily you have found 4 useless organizations and 3 individuals to solve all their problems. Now explain why no women were consulted before MMDA Act was created.
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Native Vedda / August 23, 2019
Lester
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Dumbass you mind your own country and the people living in it.
I can only give you information on less than 2 million Muslims who are living in this island. If it is your business to poke your nose in every muslim persons life/a**e please feel free to do so and be stupid.
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I am sorry are you the sole protector of every Muslim women’s private parts?
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Lester / August 23, 2019
Native Genius,
Muslims are part of the Ummah, they are not limited by geography. They all follow the Shariah, which is laid out in Koran & Hadiths and interpreted by Muslim scholars. They don’t care about MMDA, they will follow Shariah first. If your friend bondscam friend had understood this, he would have taken warnings about extremism in the East more seriously.
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Ruwan / August 22, 2019
Having laws for different communities create racial disharmony! In a country there should be only one law and that should be applicable to all citizens living in the country. Though the Muslims have been forced to amend the law there are loopholes created for a possible child marriages! This is not acceptable! There should be NO CHILD MARRIAGES! period! Its time we moved away from unacceptable customs practiced by communities!
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Eagle Eye / August 22, 2019
Sinhala stupid politicians should be held responsible for all this humbug. After British left, Sinhala politicians should have told Demalu who were brought by colonial rulers and Muslims who got the opportunity to live in Sinhale because of the compassion and tolerance of Sinhala Buddhists that they cannot have special rules brought from Malabar or Arabia. When marriageable age was raised to 18, an idiot put a loophole by putting ‘Not applicable to Muslims’. Why the hell they gave an exception to Muslims.
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Even now, our dumb politicians have been taken for a ride by Muslims. Muslims have agreed to amendments with lot of loopholes. I do not think the Cabinet who gave green light checked these loopholes carefully. Even in Cabinet meetings, they are in Facebook reading gossip. According to a newspaper report, even with amendments women under 18 can marry with the approval from Kathi. For polygamy also there is an exception. Why should there be such exceptions. This is Muslim Taqiyah. Muslims will use these loopholes and do their business as usual.
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Sinhala politicians, please wake up. Scrap all special status given to Demalu and Muslims. While talking about equal status, Demalu and Muslims cannot enjoy special status and privileges. This is discrimination against Native Sinhalayo.
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Native Vedda / August 26, 2019
Eagle Blind Eye
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FYI
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Native Sinhalayo = Converted Kallathonie descendant
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Amarasiri / August 28, 2019
Eagle Eye,
“When marriageable age was raised to 18, an idiot put a loophole by putting ‘Not applicable to Muslims’. Why the hell they gave an exception to Muslims.”
Does the data support the hypothesis that the Para-Muslims are idiots with mean IQ of 79 just like the Para-Sinhala with an IQ of 79?
There is a saying that says, “Sinhalaya Modaya” . Does it apply to Muslims as well? After all they more or less have the Indian genetics. Are they all Simpletons?
Simpleton
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simpleton
In Sri Lanka whole districts in the central, southern, and western provinces are credited with being the abode of foolish people.
In folklore, a simpleton is a person whose foolish actions are the subject of often-repeated stories. Simpletons are also known as noodles, fools, and gothamites. Folklore often holds, with no basis in fact, that certain towns or countries are thought to be home to large numbers of simpletons. The ancient Greeks told tales of stupid populations in Abdera and other cities; in Germany, men of Schilda are conspicuous in these stories; in Spain hundreds of jokes exist about the supposed foolishness of the people from Lepe; and in England, the village of Gotham in Nottinghamshire is reputed to be populated by simpletons. In Sri Lanka whole districts in the central, southern, and western provinces are credited with being the abode of foolish people.
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Seyyed Quraish Moulana / August 22, 2019
WHO BOTHERS…..just to please the racists , Cabinet has approved amendments . Now with the legal draftsmen means another 10 years or more.
Further 18 years age no matter. NIKAH is the Most important in Islam to be Halaal, registration NOT necessary. As now in the villages Mosques maintain a Nikah register of under age boys and girls marraiges and when they pass the age of 18 they register . No matter what law the same practice will continue in future as well. Even last week a 14 year old girl and 16 years old boy marriage took place in a village.
If any dispute take place in such unregistered marraiges the Mosque authorities appoint a committee and solve the matter.
Nobody could put laws and prevent our religious RIGHTS or practices.
Even polygamy many thousands Nikah taken place without registration. ISLAMICALLY NO PROBLEM AS FAR AS AQAD IS PERFECT. Even secret marraiges valid if the AQAD is perfect.
LET THE RACIST DOGS BARK MUSLIM CARAVAN GOES…..
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shankar / August 22, 2019
take your AQAD and go to saudi arabia and live there.Don’t pollute sri lanka.
ps.You can also try kashmir.Send an application to modi
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Seyyed Quraish Moulana / August 24, 2019
MMDA is ONLY for the Muslims, why should others jump up. Other communities mind your bloody businesses as we Muslims NEVER involve in OTHERS laws. RACISTS are jumping up in jealousy.
No need to go to Saudi as the whole WORLD belongs to the Muslims as well. Wherever we live we’ll practice our religion and our laws. We’ll NOT care two hoots for others concern on our laws.
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shankar / August 25, 2019
moulana
“Wherever we live we’ll practice our religion and our laws. We’ll NOT care two hoots for others concern on our laws.”
one country one law.remember that in your peanut low IQ brain.People like you will get all muslims kicked out to saudi.It is because of arrogant people like you that myanmar was able to ethnically cleanse the muslims without a murmur even from the international community which has become sick of people like you who are born troublemakers and do not respect and obey the laws of a country.When modi took away the special status of kashmir to flood it with hindus only pakistan and china protested.Everyone is sick of you.Can’t you see.You can do what you want in saudi but not in the rest of the world.
ps.saudi is the contry that is spreading their laws to other countries.If any muslim is unable to practice those laws then the saudi government is morally oblighed according to muslim customs and laws to help that person to become saudi citizens and with their immense oil reserves give them a high standard of living too.Did not allah say that only if you give you will get.Allah has given a disproportionate share of the oil reserves to the saudis for that purpose only.
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Native Vedda / August 22, 2019
Seyyed Quraish Moulana
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“Nobody could put laws and prevent our religious RIGHTS or practices.”
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In that process your supposed religion practiced by morons/paedophiles like you continues to hurt thousands of underaged children.
Children should be heard not hurt.
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Read the following article:
The wounded victims of Sri Lanka’s child marriage law
20 June 2017
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-39898589
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Seyyed Quraish Moulana / August 24, 2019
When a girl attends puberty whether 12 or 13 she’s no more a child but an adult. Mother nature has prepared her for pregnancy. Illiterate dumb cows don’t understand this simple scientific indication. Hard luck.
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Mohamed the Atheist / August 25, 2019
Seyyed QM said that nature prepared 12 year old girls to be pregnant and that people who don’t understand that are “illiterate dumb cows”. In reality, when a 12 year old girl becomes pregnant, she stops going to school and she becomes an “illiterate dumb cow” and she breeds many “illiterate dumb cows” and so the cycle continues until their whole community is filled with “illiterate dumb cows”.
Can you imagine people whose mother is only 12 years older than them? That means that they can go to school together – the child in grade 1 and the mother in grade 12! Are there actually civilised humans who don’t find a problem with that?
To the people who say that MMDA is only the business of Muslims – that is not true. The country has a duty to protect children of all races and religions. Child marriage must be stopped and male and female genital mutilation must also be stopped. What kind of barbaric religion demands that people mutilate the genitals of their innocent sons and daughters? All Muslims practice male genital mutilation on all their sons and believe me, it hurt like hell. Those harmful practices need to be stopped and the gods that demand them need to be questioned.
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shankar / August 25, 2019
moulana
“Mother nature has prepared her for pregnancy.”
mother nature has also given her a brain and free choice you low IQ pedophile.
ps.you keep saying others are dumb.I keep saying you are a low IQ idiot.I have professional qualifications fully qualified in CIMA,CIM,and batchelor of commerce degree from queensland uni.you tell us your qualifications please low IQ idiot.
CIMA-chartered institute of management accountants(UK)
CIM-Chartered institute of marketing(UK)
arrogant prabha was also like you and did not listen to the educated tamils and even went and killed them like neelan tiruchelvam who was married to a muslim.See what happened he ended up in a train wreck and the tamils now have to clean up all the shit he put all over the north and east.Muslims are also following same principle listening to the uneducated low IQ’s and ignoring their professionals.The islamic extremists will also end up in a train wreck one day .and the muslims worldwide will have to clean up their shit
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Sarrij / August 26, 2019
SQM
This guy is a nut case; forget the “Mowlana” title. Period.
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Native Vedda / August 26, 2019
Seyyed Quraish Moulana
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“When a girl attends puberty whether 12 or 13 she’s no more a child but an adult. “
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What a load of bull are you talking about?
Are you a child psychologist, physician, gynecologist,…. or mother nature’s authorised consultant?
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Isn’t a campaign to legalise paedophilia?
You should be locked up in a cell with a rapist who loves a**l sex to teach you that not all forms of love making are enjoyable especially with old men, paedos, ……….. iron rods, ……………….
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Sarrij / August 26, 2019
SQM
The Muslim Caravan is stuck in the MUD. What is perfect about it?
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Good Sense / August 23, 2019
I am not privy to actual decisions of the Cabinet. But going by the CT report, there seems to be a problem with who these Quazis are. The fundamental issue is as far as the ordinary folks in this country are concerned, do you need a special court for each religion and ethnicity to administer personal law of people of respective ethnicities and religion? For instance, a Divorce of a normal person is ordered by a District Judge and he can be of any ethnicity or religion. There could be a case pertaining to “Thesawalame” law and that could be heard by a Judge of any ethnicity or religion. As an ordinary folk one wonders what is so special about a particular personal law so that the judge also must be of that ethnicity or religion? OF COURSE HE/SHE MUST BE WELL VERSED OF THAT RESPECTIVE LAW. My humble suggestion as a compromise is by tradition or by law appoint, say a siting High Court Judge concurrently as the chairman of the Quazi Judges (if not a retired judge) and as far as possible appoint present judges where feasible to administer the duties of a Quazi concurrently.
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