By Mohamed Fawaz Hassen –

Mohamed Fawaz Hassen

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King Jr., 16 April 1963

In Sri Lanka, for an issue to gain public attention, it often needs to be given a political or nationalist frame. This has been a recurring pattern throughout the country’s past and recent history. For instance, the brutal killing of National Three-Wheeler Association Chairman Sunil Jayawardena on 10 June 2020 outside a leasing company in Mirihana did not provoke the same national outrage as the murder of Priyantha Kumara in Sialkot, Pakistan. Although the perpetrators in Pakistan were severely punished under Pakistani law, public discourse in Sri Lanka around the incident took on a distinctly nationalist tone.

Likewise, while the tragic case of a 15-year-old girl from Mt. Lavinia who was exploited online and traded among some 50 men including politicians was reported with little public response, the death of Shalani, the girl who took her own life at MP Rishad Bathiudeen’s residence, became a nationwide talking point.

The latest topic dominating public discussion is the hijab. The issue resurfaced after Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath stated that nurses wearing the hijab should be permitted to serve in hospitals and urged that any obstacles they face be reported. The debate was further amplified following the athletic victory of Fathima Safiya Yamick, a Muslim female runner.

Safiya had previously mentioned in a television interview that she faced pressure from her mosque regarding her attire. However, as she later clarified, such pressure did not come solely from the mosque it also came from her school and her training camp, each for its own reasons. It is common to speak publicly about the hardships and challenges one would encounter on their journey to success. What is striking in this instance, however, is that only the guidance said to have come from the mosque was amplified and shared across the media.

The mosque’s role, by contrast, was not to discourage sport, but to advise on the appropriate dress for a Muslim girl and to remind her of the modest environment she should maintain. The Muslim community, other communities and religious institutions are well aware of the difficulties that female athletes in Sri Lanka have faced in the past.

Safiya’s story gained particular attention because she achieved victory without wearing the Hijab. Yet several other Muslim sportswomen have excelled while wearing it. For instance, Maryam Murtaza won the bronze medal at the IMFA (International Federation of Muaythai Associations) Youth World Championship, bringing international honour to Sri Lanka. Similarly, Fathoom Isadeen became the national squash champion in 2019, 2020 and 2021. However, their achievements went largely unnoticed perhaps because they competed wearing the hijab.

Another Muslim world champion now largely forgotten is M.J.M. Lafir, who set a world record in billiards in 1973 and secured fourth place at the 1966 World Amateur Snooker Championship. In recognition of his accomplishments, a postage stamp bearing his image was issued in December 1973, and Messenger street in Colombo was later renamed M.J.M. Lafir Mawatha in his honour.

When we think of Sri Lankan athletics, names such as Duncan White and Susanthika Jayasinghe come readily to mind and rightly so. Yet we must also remember Nagalingam Ethirveerasingham, an athlete from Valigamam, Jaffna an old boy of Jaffna Central College who represented Sri Lanka at the 1952 and 1956 Olympics and went on to win gold and silver medals at the 1958 and 1962 Asian Games. His gold medal, won in Japan in 1958, remains Sri Lanka’s first ever Asian Games gold. One wonders whether today’s nationalists are even aware of these facts. History teaches us that true national pride transcends race and religion.

The current debate surrounding the hijab for nurses is not new. It dates back to a Private Member’s Bill introduced by MP M. L. A. M. Hizbullah on 7 August 1992, which was passed in Parliament with a majority vote. The proposal was brought forward following requests from the Muslim community, with the aim of enabling more Muslim women to enter the health service while observing their religious attire.

Recently, the monk Bengamuwa Nalaka Thero suggested that if Muslim nurses are allowed to wear the hijab, Buddhist nurses should similarly be allowed to wear the Lama Saree (child’s saree). This was reported by Divaina newspaper journalist Mangala Madurapperuma, known for his politically charged reporting. It should be noted that this same monk, better known for his political activism than spiritual leadership, was once issued an warrant for arrest in August 2018 due to the verdict given by the Colombo Magistrate in connection with public property damage during a protest by disabled veterans in November 2016, under the Maithripala Sirisena government. This petition was filed by the Colombo Fort Police.  Likewise, Divaina was the newspaper that sensationalised the Dr Shafi case without verified evidence.

A troubling misconception held by some today is that Muslim women’s attire such as the hijab is merely an expression of ethnic identity. In reality, it is a religious obligation, deeply rooted in the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

According to the Qur’an, particularly in Chapter (Surahs) 24 and 33 Muslim women are instructed to guard their modesty and to expose their beauty and adornment only to close male relatives and their husbands. This serves to protect both women and men from immoral temptations. Every devout Muslim is bound by these sacred injunctions, and under Sri Lanka’s Constitution, freedom of religion is a fundamental right. No individual or organisation has the authority to override these divine principles and Sri Lanka’s constitution.

Although Sri Lanka’s Muslim, Tamil and Sinhalese communities have lived side by side for centuries, the country has yet to achieve genuine national harmony. Why is this the case? It is a question that demands urgent reflection.

As long as the religious practices, cultural traditions, languages and aspirations of one community are viewed as obstacles by another, true unity will remain out of reach. National harmony cannot be built on such foundations. What we can do, however, is continue to speak ever more openly about the need for National unity.