By Ameer Ali –
Dr. Ameer Ali
If members of a political party surrenders that party’s original manifesto and symbol and embrace those of another party to win entry to the legislature, and possibly to the cabinet, what does it convey to that party’s dedicated supporters and to the supporters of the party that now accommodated them? Aren’t they a bunch of traitors to their own party and birds of passage to the accommodating party? Who can trust these instant-party-switchers or turn coats?
These are questions that now arise regarding the position of SLMC now and towards its future. With one or two exceptions almost all SLMC candidates who won in this week’s elections did so under the UNP symbol. In doing so did these contestants embrace only the UNP symbol and not the manifesto of the UNP? If they had only embraced the symbol for the sake winning the contest then UNP should not accommodate any of them in the new cabinet because they have no commitment to UNP manifesto. On the other hand if these birds of passage had accepted the manifesto of UNP and its symbol then they had treacherously betrayed the trust placed on them by those Muslims who believed in SLMC as the only hope for the community’s political survival.
The time has come to take a serious stock of the current status, costs and benefits of SLMC. I did call before for the outright dissolution or wholesale rejection of this ethnic political monster. Just before this week’s election I also appealed to the national parties to marginalise SLMC. To a certain extent the results of the election has vindicated my stand. The behaviour and performance of the SLMC candidates at this week’s elections has left no doubt in my mind that in the larger interest of the country and in the interest of the Muslim community in particular SLMC as a political party should disappear from the national scene. There is no problem for that entity to continue operating as a lobby group for Muslims.
In the current climate of ethnic tension and religious chauvinism the Muslim community desperately deserves a Muslim leadership that can rise above ethnic particularism and identify itself with national interest and work for the betterment of the Muslims and the nation together. The community had such leadership in the past and it should endeavour to produce one for the future. Such leadership can only arise from the bosom of national parties.
No minority in a plural democracy can thrive without the support of the majority, unless it chooses the enormously risky path of secession and succeed. The Muslims of Sri Lanka will not even dream of such a suicidal option. They are an integrated element of the island’s political terrain. At the moment they are paying the price for choosing leaders who neither have commitment to the community nor to the nation. The Holy Quran has already warned the Muslims and humanity: “Even Allah will not change the situation of a community unless its members change themselves”.
Rohan / August 21, 2015
“If members of a political party surrenders that party’s original manifesto and symbol and embrace those of another party to win entry to the legislature, and possibly to the cabinet, what does it convey to that party’s dedicated supporters “
WOW…
The Party never respected the members. Hakeem did not listen to the members with respect to the Eastern Provincial Council. They could have taken the CM post with TNA.
Even before the election Hakeem said he was contemplating whom to run with in the election. He didn’t give a dman about the mosque attacks and all.
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Paul / August 21, 2015
They never acknowledge their real Tamil origins but cling to a fake Arab origin and an artificially created ethnic identity called Sri Lankan Muslims( goodness this is not an ethnic identity but a religious identity, there is no Hindu, Christian Buddhist or Muslim ethnic identity any where else in the world) so will never join hands with the TNA or anything Tamil, as they think this will be detrimental to them and the majority will correctly identify them with their real largely immigrant Dravidian Tamil origins, instead of their fake Arab origin that they have carefully concocted.
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Sharia Nariya / August 21, 2015
Oh here we go again……………
This Paul bugger. Sick in the head.
Whining away concocted facts like a broken record.
High time this bugger is caught and packed off to Saudi Arabia where he will have his balls chopped off before his sick head falls under the sword.
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Paul / August 21, 2015
Yes the truth hurts for you backstabbers and abusing me does not change the truth. It was the Saudis who stated that the so called Tamil speaking Sri Lankan Moors are not of Arab origin but descended from largely low caste South Asian/ South Indian Hindu converts. Shows your extremist brainwashed Salafist Taliban like mentality of chopping body parts and heads, like the ISIS does. Anything to defend the myth of your fake Arab identity
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Sylvia Haik / August 21, 2015
Yes Paul. Chopping heads off is not alien to the Saudis. Their workforce of Muslim migrants are their target. Don’t forget what they did to young innocent and poor Rizana Nafeek and boast as if they’ve achieved something great by beheading this 22 year old girl for a crime she had allegedly done when she was 18 but proved by international experts as forensically innocent. The SLMC did bugger all as not to offend their benefactors, the Saudis.
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Paul / August 21, 2015
It was during poor unfortunate Rizana’s trial that the defence stated that the Sri Lankan Muslims are of Arab descent, therefor Rizana should be treated in the same manner as the Arabs, instead of an alien or non Arab Muslims. The Saudis stated they do not consider the Sri Lankan Muslims or Moors are of Arab descent origin or heritage but classify them as descendants of largely low caste South Asian/South Indian Hindu converts. Therefor Rizana will not be receiving any special treatment of justice that is reserved for Arabs but will be treated like any other non Arab Muslim expatriate.
However these wankers still shamelessly try to ape the Arabs in everywhere and deny their rich ancient Dravidian Tamil Sufi Indian Islamic tradition that has almost a 1000 year old history.
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TinPotJihadi / August 21, 2015
Well said Paul. All you have to do is look at their phenotypical features including dark skin color.They ARE of S.Indian origin but adapted Islam over time. They speak TAMIL not Arabic. Now Malays are DIFFIRENT completely. They are unique ethnic group of Malay. They are muslim too but their race is Malay like Burghers were a race. Muslim Sri Lankans except for a few are Tamil or perhaps Dravidian Sinhala converts. But linguistically they are Tamil suggesting they are Dalit origin like Buddhist Convert Tamils and Muslim convert Tamils. Why? Because both Islam and Buddhism gave them a way out of their Hindu Caste trapped Caste controlled lives. THERE IS NO CASTE in Real Buddhism and there is NOT CASTE period in Islam. Sri lankan Buddhist Bigots at times are really as bad. They talk about “Padu” people or “Dhoby” people why? Buddha spoke out against Caste. Sujiwa Senasinghe the probably UNP’s Mervyn Silva as derisively referred to as Padu because he is a Kandyan very FAIR SKINNED person but supposed to be Padu. Why ? what they hell is wrong with the backward people?This is disgraceful. Sujeewa is a lawyer and a popular member of the UNP; who cares what he was born to? he is a LAWYER. So if at all people should say he is LAWYER caste. That sort of backwardness is still so cursedly prevalent in Sri Lanka. In Matara District UNP won Matara because of a certain caste Presence of the same type as Mangala Samaraweera. Ratgama area is another caste. Rajapakses definitely have Malaya blood but are Southern Govigama. Chandrika BK is half low country- half upcountry (Kandyan) govigama. Ranil is Low country govigama but father’s side is Christian mother’s more famous side the Wijewardenes are all Govigama Aristocracy.
People like Harsha DeSilva will not be able to win In Kandy or Gampaha or South as he is supposedly Karawa like almost all DeSilvas. Sometimes all these backward primitive thinking of the majority makes me want to renounce my race and religion.
WE do not have to waste time on Hinduism because Caste is inherent in its doctrine. Not so In Buddhism or Islam. But a lot of people who were oppressed by Hinduism converted to Islam. Rauff Hakeem could be mixed race. But otherwise Muslims are Tamils .
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lipwe / August 22, 2015
I agree that all the major sri lankan ethnic groups are mixed blooded. But non of them are mainly Tamil. All molecular anthropological studies show Sinhalese to be mainly bengali with minor Tamil, veddha, and Rajasthan contribution. Sri Lankan Tamil more closely related to sinhalese rather than Tamils in Tamil nadu. So stop BS about every thing Tamil
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whywhy / August 24, 2015
Paul, did you take a proper count of your family
members recently ? Just to make sure you are not
wailing due to the loss of a member to a Muslim
who converted him/her to Islam .
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Dinuk / August 21, 2015
Dr. Ameer Ali, your are a wise and brave man to speak up against the tyranny of the Muslim majority. The leadership of ethnic political parties are the biggest oppressors of their people.
Ethnic thinking and particularism is the curse that affects ALL – SInhala, Tamil, Muslim, political parties in Sri Lanka because the politicians/ leaders are intellectually and morally bankrupt. The political leaders of all communities are the ones who are responsible for the wars fought in Sri Lanka – let us not forget.
These ethnic entrepreneur politicains sell ethnic dreams of liberation to foolish voters and then live a good life, make money and wining and dining in the Parliament, while the foolish voters are defrauded by these corrupt, rent seeking politicians.
You have diagnosed the problem very well. The Muslims should come out of the ethnic ghetto that Hakeem and the other Muslims politicians who play ethnic politics for their own personal benefit has put them in. So too the Plantation Tamils should stop voting for that corrupt clown Thondaman!
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Uthungan / August 21, 2015
Exactly, it is such a mindset which caused those who had embraced Isalm in India to create a Pakistan which has today become a millstone and a thorn for India.This should never be permitted in SL.
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / August 21, 2015
I guess it’s kind of like how We Thamizh never acknowledge the We Thamizh recent South Indian coolie origin and cling to a fake “native” origin and an artificially created ethnic identity called “Eezham We Thamizh” :D Except it’s a bit more grounded in reality than the Eezham fairy tales :D
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Native Vedda / August 21, 2015
Wee Thamihz Siva Sankaran Sarma Menon
“I guess it’s kind of like how We Thamizh never acknowledge the We Thamizh recent South Indian coolie origin and cling to a fake “native” origin and an artificially created ethnic identity called “Eezham We Thamizh” “
How true.
Isn’t it similar to their Sinhala brethren’s assertion, Hela, Heladipa, Hela Bashava, Helasinky, Sinhapurian, venglease from venga, now related to Mohanjadarians, ……. Aryan, Sakyamunniyas, … ?
Thank you for put the Tamils on the spot. I hope you would remind the converted Sinhala/Buddhist whose origin was also in Toilet Nadu. Would you do that for us to strike a balance betwenn fantasy reporting and historical facts?
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Paul / August 21, 2015
He is not the real Siva Sankaran Sarma but some Sinhalese racist who has stolen his identity. The real Siva Sankaran lives somewhere in Australia
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Siva Sankaran Sarma / August 22, 2015
Cool story, bro :D
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Amarasiri / August 21, 2015
Paul
All the Paras in Lanka evolved from their Ape ancestors. Noe they have 46 Chromosomes. They used to have 48. Their Chromosome 2 was formed by the fusion of two Ape Chromosomes.
Ken Miller on Human Evolution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi8FfMBYCkk
Uploaded on Feb 14, 2007
Dr. Ken Miller talks about the relationship between Homo sapiens and the other primates. He discusses a recent finding of the Human Genome Project which identifies the exact point of fusion of two primate chromosomes that resulted in human chromosome #2.
Mitochondrial DNA history of Sri Lankan ethnic people: their relations within the island and with the Indian subcontinental populations
http://www.nature.com/jhg/journal/v59/n1/full/jhg2013112a.html
MtDNA haplogroup analysis revealed that several West Eurasian haplogroups as well as Indian-specific mtDNA clades were found amongst the Sri Lankan populations. Through a comparison with the mtDNA HVS-1 and part of HVS-2 of Indian database, both Tamils and Sinhalese clusters were affiliated with Indian subcontinent populations than Vedda people who are believed to be the native population of the island of Sri Lanka.
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Boom Boom / August 21, 2015
You don’t need the SLMC anymore Ali Thambi.
You have successfully surreptitiously taken over the UNP.
You peaople (in Colombo) also gave the highest manapenumbers to your puppet leader Ranil W.
We are sure he will be circumcised soon to complete the ritual.
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Ali Baba Sabry / August 21, 2015
Hakeem is another Muslim Jackal scouring the jungle for the next opportunity of finding the carcass of a deer left half-eaten by the lions. But he wont share it with his community. Only with his family.
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Paisa Must Appah / August 21, 2015
A load of bullshit man. You have missed the essential message of the election result. The demise of the SLMC is because the Muslim community totally rejects communal politics. Those Muslim politicians who were voted in are wise guys to have entered under the UNP banner. At least they won because of the Sinhala votes. Muslims don’t trust the Muslim politicians any more because they reject communal politics and also because their politicians are self-seeking vultures only waiting for the chance to grab money for themselves. To hell with the community after elections.
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Ram / August 21, 2015
” The demise of the SLMC is because the Muslim community totally rejects communal politics. “
If that were so, it is a most welcome occurrence.
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B Mackka / August 21, 2015
I think you have got it wrong. All contested under UNF though they retained the Elephant Symbol.
The mandate was for a Unity Government and not a UNP Manifesto. This alone is an indication that SLMC has risen above ethnic considerations.
Victory over the Racist UPFA conglomerate under Mahinda would not have been possible for UNP alone.
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Richard Kaz / August 21, 2015
Hakeem is the ultimate opportunistic politician.
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backlash / August 21, 2015
As was the case from 1947 to the earlier 1980s the critical interests of the Muslim community was served when they contested as part of the two larger Sinhala political groupings viz:- the UNP and the SLFP. Admittedly, the political landscape, the country’s politics and the world have since changed bringing in newer imperatives. But the basic reality for the Muslims remains roughly the same. In the Tamil majority areas they went with the major party there till the late 1970s and were safe. It was Ashraff, to advance his personal agenda and fortunes who took his community via the religious path and went separately under the SLMC flag in the 1980s. The Pakistanis (ISI) and some radical Arab countries gave him dead ropes. For a while, there was some success there but as the decades passed Muslims have become an issue all over the country. Even their own, like this writer, call the present leadership unprincipled opportunists. Therefore, it was no surprise men like Hakeem tried to save their skins in that hilarious truism “he who runs away, lives to fight another day” In the circumstances, it is debatable if the Ranil-Maithri regime will accommodate Hakeem in the Cabinet.
The time has come for much introspection by the community. The antics of self-centred political leaders within their ranks certainly makes their position quite complex.
Backlash
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Dr.Goebells / August 21, 2015
The performance of the BBS at the recent election was a clear indication that the majority community does not encourage politics based on religion .
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soma / August 21, 2015
Mr Ameer Ali
“No minority in a plural democracy can thrive without the support of the majority, unless it chooses the enormously risky path of secession and succeed. The Muslims of Sri Lanka will not even dream of such a suicidal option. They are an integrated element of the island’s political terrain”
Further when the majority is intensely divided 50//50 a minority group should NOT support one side as one collective. Implications are subtle and serious.
Soma
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Rajash / August 21, 2015
Where is Izeth Hussain .
He may blame the in his own words ” the miniscule fringe Tamil racism” for the demise of the SLMC as well
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Dr Nass / August 21, 2015
Dear Dr Ameer Ali. You should know politics in Sri Lanka is different from politics in western nations. You should have skills to manipulate. UNP also know that without this type of combination UNP would have got only 85 seats and UPFA would have got 83 seats. It would have been mayhem in Sri lankan politics. At least this is better than mayhem. You should pray for good politics whichever party comes rather than making just accusation without knowing realities.
You have been calling to dismantle political party on the basis of race. that is good but it will take some times. when national parties do well. all racial element will be wiped out . No more communal party in SL. wait and see.
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Dias / August 21, 2015
There is a larger problem than the SLMC that muslim leaders need to address, this is the general distrust of muslims in Sri Lanka and their long term agenda. I have got a viewpoint from friends, very educated people to take this divisive stand.
1. They believe that muslims gang up and help each other succeed……that is the prerogative of free enterprise and I personally feel, more power to them.
2. They feel that the muslim population is growing at a tremendous pace and will soon overtake the Tamils……well, since they don’t smoke or drink like the rest of us, they need to indulge in some extra-curricular activity when the lights go out and I for one am never against that.
3. They eat only halal; well, who cares?
Then the accusations start getting a bit more serious:
4. Apart from our friends who grew up with us, they refuse to assimilate, they only mix with each other.
5. Why do all the women cover themselves, they didn’t when we were young, why do they do now? This is not Saudi Arabia?
6. There are places like kattankudy and Mannar where they are a law unto themselves……even the street signs are in Arabic!
7. Why do they need jihadist teachers from Pakistan to teach in their madrasas?
As per above, there are several people in Colombo who think like the above, imaging the ignorant rice farmers in the villages. The more conservative segment of your community seem to be visibly extricating themselves from the Sri Lankan social fabric and forming one of their own. I believe this is a serious threat to your community, I have no idea how you will rectify it but the more prevalent this becomes, the more ammunition you will be giving the untra-sinhala element in the Country. Good luck!!
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Mallaiyuran / August 21, 2015
Thanks to UNP and god. This man’s Chameleon color has been absorbed by UNP. He can not change easily for five years.
If China gives money, SLFPyers and crossbred UNOyers may break from National government and may form a new one. But this guys will not get and can not easily change this time.
Somebody in the SLFP of Old King’s team who has evidence of Kumari’s case should take to court now and put an end to this man’s dirty habit of corrupting both Sinhala parties.
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Shiraz _ Brunei / August 21, 2015
Good article from Dr Ameer Ali.Greetings from Sri Lanka Muslims in Brunei Darussalam.
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Upul / August 21, 2015
Adey!
Paisa Mustafa crept into Parliament in real thambi style…from the backdoor, when no one was watching.
And, who gave him the break….yes….clueless Maithri. As much as the man impresses me most of the time, he confuses the hell out of me, the rest of the time. Bringing in a bunch of losers on the National List? He is not as principled as he would like us gamayas to think he is.
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backlash / August 25, 2015
Maitripala S “principled”??? – my left foot. Came to politics two decades ago penniless in old Bata slippers and a ramshackle Raleigh bicycle. Proudly claimed he was a poor farmer’s son and he is there to get better deals for paddy farmers. What is the story today?
Look at his infantile suggestion to make Cricketer Sangakkara our HC in London. Of course, all of us have immense affection for Sanga. But it has to be an utter idiot to make such a suggestion. The position of HC in London is one of our most coveted politico-diplomatic posts and should be held by a senior and respected person. Wait and see. This village simpleton will leave room for many more instances for laughs. The man should allow the running of the Govt to others and enjoy the next 5 years – thanking his stars for his unbelievable booty.
Backlash
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colin / August 22, 2015
The SLMC should get all the kudos for backing the UNP and has proved an important factor in the victory of the UNF.Had they contested independently the present result would not have been achieved. How much the author may shout out Rauf Hakeem he is bound to be rewarded by Ranil for his master move.
The author too in my opinion is not taken very seriously in Muslim circles
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Mohamed Ibrahim / August 23, 2015
S.L.M.C is not the sole representatives of Eastern Muslims.S.L.MC was created when there was no escape from LTTE terrorism and the Govt. at the centre also did’t protect the Muslims from the clutches of LTTE barbaric act such as murder torture,kidnapping and ethnic cleansing.The time was ripe for Muslims to raise their voice politically and former leader Asroff seized the opportunity and SLMC was easily formed. Obviously majority Muslims usually cast their votes for the U.N.P all over the island.This can be attested by the overwhelming support for U.N.P in Colombo district and the record individual preferential vote the current prime minister Mr. Ranil Wikramasinghe received at the recent election.Mr RauF Hakeem knows this fact very well and as a shrewd politician he manipulated the voters and contested along with the U.N.P. Now the terrorism is over we don’t need party like SLMC on ethnic or religious line as long as the major parties like U.N.P and S.L.F.P look into the grievances of the minority people.Mohammed Ibrahim
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