{"id":201838,"date":"2019-05-21T02:21:21","date_gmt":"2019-05-20T20:51:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=201838"},"modified":"2019-05-24T03:24:38","modified_gmt":"2019-05-23T21:54:38","slug":"moderate-muslims-must-make-moral-intervention-push-for-reforms-against-radicalization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/moderate-muslims-must-make-moral-intervention-push-for-reforms-against-radicalization\/","title":{"rendered":"Moderate Muslims Must Make Moral Intervention & Push For Reforms Against Radicalization"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Rasika Jayakody<\/a> –<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Rasika Jayakody<\/p><\/div>\n

The Muslim community of Sri Lanka, unintended victims of the Easter Sunday explosions<\/strong><\/a>, is currently facing steep challenges on many fronts.<\/p>\n

Almost every Muslim<\/strong><\/a> household in Sri Lanka has come under scrutiny by security forces that are tasked with\u00a0stamping out nascent Islamist terrorism in Sri Lanka. Reports of swords, machetes and other suspicious items being recovered from some Muslim places of worships and households have further complicated the situation and drawn the ire of other communities \u2014 particularly the majority Sinhalese.<\/p>\n

There is also a vibrant and well-organized social media campaign currently underway calling for the boycott of Muslim-owned businesses in Sri Lanka. Many sources confirmed that a number of Muslim businesses in predominantly Sinhala areas are experiencing a dismaying drop in sales. This is a cause for concern not just for the Muslims who own the businesses but those from other ethnicities who work for them.<\/p>\n

The racial violence that broke out<\/strong><\/a> in many parts of the country targeting Muslims has damaged hundreds of homes and businesses. While some of these attacks appear to be politically orchestrated and conducted by organized mobs, most were carried out by incensed village youth, driven by long-harboured hatred for Muslims. These sentiments are fueled by extreme right-wing populism and the constant vilification of Muslims by ultra-nationalist Sinhala-Buddhist organizations. Although the situation has returned to normalcy, for now, the country is resting on the crest of a volcano.<\/p>\n

Aside from the hatred and mob violence, there is a strong mistrust between the Muslim community and other communities in Sri Lanka.\u00a0 Corrupt and power-hungry Muslim political leaders\u2014most of whom are affiliated with the government\u2014have not demonstrated a genuine will to bridge the trust gap between these communities.<\/p>\n

Some Muslim political leaders including All Ceylon Makhal Congress (ACMC) Leader Rishard Bathiudeen and Eastern Province Governor M. L. A. M. Hizbullah have already come under fire for maintaining close links with extremist militants. Mounting calls for investigations into their involvement with the extremist militants have fallen on deaf ears. And even though Army Commander Lt. General Mahesh Senanayake went on public record saying that Bathiudeen spoke to him thrice about a suspect arrested in Dehiwala, no action has thus far been taken against the Minister.<\/p>\n

While the Muslim political leadership has let its own people\u00a0down, religious leaders too have failed to act as a unifying factor within the community against the growing wave of extremism. The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU<\/strong><\/a>) made certain interventions to diffuse tensions in the immediate aftermath of the Easter Sunday explosions, but other communities are reluctant to accept the ACJU as the unequivocal voice against extremism.<\/p>\n

What the Muslim community requires at this point is strong community leadership that can drive internal reforms, bridging the trust gap between Muslims and other communities. The community leadership must transcend political and other internal divisions while driving important reforms that will deter radicalization.<\/p>\n

It is against this backdrop that four Muslim representatives\u2014namely Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, Ferial Ashraff, President\u2019s Counsel Ali Sabry and Minister Kabir Hashim\u2014came forward last week to conduct a press conference on solutions to the current situation in the country. At the well-attended presser, the four representatives made it clear that the Muslim community must look inwards to seek sustainable solutions without pursuing mere cosmetic changes.<\/p>\n