Against the backdrop of the upcoming Presidential Election, the Muslim community is eagerly waiting to elect a leader who treats every citizen equally, particularly minority communities, by rooting out marginalisation and discrimination.
Ceylon Today spoke to Muslims in the Eastern Province to learn more about Muslim political representatives. Their collective allegation was that the advent of Muslim political parties has distanced Muslims from other communities. This situation must change soon and this change will only be realised when a leader who follows democratic principles takes the reins.
Role and contribution of Muslim leaders
Mohammed Ismail Mohammed Faisar said before the emergence of Muslim political parties with Islamic banners, the people belonging to every community, be it Sinhalese, Tamils or Muslims, lived in harmony while protecting their own ethnic identity, the integrity and reconciliation among diverse ethnic groups remained at the highest level. Today, it has turned topsy-turvy. A new political culture must emerge in the country in which every citizen must be able to practise their religion freely.
Mohammed Faisar said in the early times, the Muslim Community didn’t have separate political parties. But then Muslim leaders could win the political and other aspirations of the Muslim community by working together with the main political parties and maintaining cordial relations with them. There is enough evidence in history about it. Muslim leaders like Attorney M.C. Siddi Lebbe, former Sri Lankan High Commissioner for Pakistan T.B. Jayah, former Member of Senate of Ceylon A.M.A. Azeez and other leaders who emerged from the Muslim community did not try to form a political party for Muslims. If they had done so, the situation would have worsened. They didn’t make such an effort because they knew its consequences for the Muslim community.
Mutual understanding and good relations with other communities
As those leaders had good relations with the leaders of majority political parties and had a mutual understanding with each other party, they had no issue in bringing the issues of the Muslim community to the attention of rulers. As they had the power to bargain with the then governments, the Muslim community easily won their privileges and rights same as the majority community of this country had or enjoyed. The Muslim community had enough freedom to express their views then and lived in a safe environment. Unity and mutual understanding between every community prevailed. Though Muslim political parties, with Muslim names, were formed, that concept is not feasible in the present context because the Muslim community itself will transform into a marginalised community.
“The Muslim political parties are viewed by majority communities like racial political parties now, it cannot be considered as a wrong view and they can’t be blamed even because the Muslim political parties have filled their vote banks by spreading their own ideologies under the guise of fighting for their community. I consider that the Muslim political parties are not necessary in this context because certain factions were waiting for opportunities to create problems with the Muslim community,” Mohammed Faisar said.
The present Muslim political parties have done nothing good to the Muslim community except for questioning their existence and transforming them into an isolated community in the country on the grounds of race or religion. There were ample examples in the past.
Muslim political parties’ failure to fulfil their obligations
When the Muslim community confronted many problems after the Easter Sunday terror attack and in several instances before it, the leaders and members of Muslim political parties who came to power getting the votes of Muslim folk did nothing to wipe out their grievances, forgetting the slogans they shouted before coming to power. In the present context and even in future, the Muslim political parties will not be suitable for the country. The time has come for every citizen of this country to rally under the banner of unity and to work for the country beyond race, caste or religious barriers. The Muslim political parties totally failed to fulfil their promises and the aspirations of the Muslim community as well and as a result, those parties are becoming unpopular among the Muslim community and will vanish very soon, Mohammed Faisar added.
Upcoming Presidential Election
The entrance of Muslim political parties and their demands during the upcoming Presidential Election would make the existence of the Muslim community questionable further. The leaders of Muslim political parties remained silent when the Muslims were attacked and severe damage was caused to their properties. The Muslim community is showing interest in casting their votes for majority political parties in the elections to be held in future including the presidential and general elections.
The past mistakes of Muslim political parties have made Muslims think twice before aligning with them. The Muslim community seems to work for the mainstream political parties like Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) or United National Party (UNP) or Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) in future because it is the only available means the Muslim community has to win its fundamental rights and privileges. Though the Muslim political parties contributed to an extent to the advancement of the community, it is an undeniable truth that they did nothing for Muslims using the power they had.
The Muslim community has clearly understood the nature of leaders and members of Muslim political parties and they can’t be deceived once by spreading the racism among the Muslim folk in the Eastern Province as in the past. Now, the Muslim community remains vigilant of those leaders and the members of their parties. The Muslims gained nothing from them so far except for those who mollycoddled them. The members of Muslim political parties who obtained the votes of Muslims, especially the Eastern Province Muslims giving them fake promises now work with majority political parties completely shattering their hopes. Now Muslim MPs and their party leaders function in Parliament separately with different agendas. It is the present state of Muslim political parties in Sri Lanka. The Muslims will gain nothing from them even in future.
Eliminating racism
Jawhary Abdul Azeez said racism, separatism, demands for a separate State in the North and East, religionism or regionalism persisted in the country in some form over nearly 75 years since Sri Lanka received independence from British imperialists. The leaders who governed the country in the interim could be the cause for the eruption of such a miserable situation. If it lasts, no one can prevent the country from collapsing economically. In such a situation, the existence of a minority Muslim community too will remain questionable. “We need a leader who can treat everyone equally, like parents looking after their children,” he said.
But after the Aragalaya, the majority of people have started to feel that every citizen of this country is equal and must live together in harmony and those who come with racial ideologies must be rejected. This is a good sign for the restoration of peace and unity in the country. Though citizens want to live in harmony, politicians try to create divisions among the people in terms of race, religion or caste for their political survival. Though it is misinterpreted by certain factions, there is no room for racism or regionalism in Islam. It promotes unity and coexistence between different ethnic groups. Islam always prioritises patriotism, Abdul Azeez said.
We are Sri Lankans and unity is our strength
The change of thinking “We are Sri Lankans and unity is our strength” has taken place among the majority of people in Sri Lanka following the Aragalaya, particularly among the Sinhalese. Tamil, Sinhala and Muslim communities live in harmony in the North and East. For instance, the majority of residents in the Kinniya Divisional Secretariat (DS) Division are Muslims but Sinhala and Tamil people also live in some places in this DS Division. Still, they live in harmony, without any disputes, according to Abdul Azeez.
“I don’t think the politicians who come to the people asking for votes with racial ideologies will have any future in politics. Actually, Aragalaya was the turning point in the political history of Sri Lanka. The Provincial Council system did not benefit the people. We need a united Sri Lanka governed by the Central Government where every citizen has equal access to everything including employment,” Abdul Azeez said.
Abdul Azeez said there are Muslims, Buddhists, Tamils and Christians in Malaysia and Singapore. Laws have been enacted in those countries giving equal access to every community and no one can interfere in others’ personal matters and doing so is an offence. Such a system must be implemented in Sri Lanka, where every issue, be it ethnicity or religion-related, can be resolved within democratic norms. Because Sri Lanka is a multi-ethnic country, there must be arrangements in the Constitution to elect a President even from the Muslim and Tamil communities.
The politicians always try to keep the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims away because if they unite, they will not have any future in politics. They use racism as a pawn in their political chessboard. If there is a multi-language government school in Kinniya DS Division, it will play a pivotal role in building up the unity between, Muslim, Tamil and Sinhala communities in the region, according to Abdul Azeez.
S.M. Abdul Niyas said it is questionable whether the Muslim MPs who represent the Muslim political parties had any underhand deal with the Government to cast their votes to enact the 18th, 19th and 20th amendments to the Constitution in Parliament. At a time when Muslims were facing various issues including the forced cremation of bodies of Muslims who died in the Covid-19 pandemic, the members and leaders of Muslim political parties who were in Parliament then could do nothing to stop the forced cremation. “Due to such activities, the Muslims who sent them to Parliament with thousands of hopes and dreams were disappointed. Without caring for their own community, they worked in favour of the Government. There were many such instances in the past,” he said.
Behaviour of Muslim political representatives
Abdul Niyas said the behaviour of Muslim politicians isn’t representative of the Muslim community. It is a setback that remains in Muslim politics. Though the politicians from the majority community acted in a manner of affecting the privileges and rights of Tamils and Muslims, the Muslim politicians behaved awkwardly concerning the problems of the Muslim community. Due to the bitter experience, they suffered in the past, the Muslim folk are in great suspicion today about Muslim MPs.
If the Muslims speak up, the truth will come to light. Unfortunately, the Muslims don’t have an alternative leadership today. There is a possibility that the Presidential Election will be postponed by one year. In addition to the mainstream political parties’ presidential candidates, there is a possibility that the Tamil community will field a candidate to represent their interests. Certain factions in the Muslim community are of the same stance as Tamils, Abdul Niyas said.
Abdul Niyas said its worst consequences will be felt by Muslims in the future. If such an imprudent decision was taken by the Muslim political leadership, without a proper plan, it would definitely affect the younger generation in future while making their existence questionable. As Sri Lanka is not a country free from racism or communalism, Muslim politicians must exercise caution before taking a nationally important decision or making a statement publicly that has a direct impact on the existence of the Muslim community. The Muslims must move their pawns on the political chessboard skilfully considering all these aspects. Muslim politics must be based on Islamic principles.
Responsibility of Muslim community
The Muslims tend to think more calmly today. After the anarchy unleashed on Muslims by the SLPP, the Muslim folk have decided to support the UNP, changing the stance they had earlier. Muslim leaders always tried to protect their positions and privileges but not the community that had kept great confidence and trust in them. In the present context, the Muslim community is in a critical state of who is to guide them and who will fight for them. The Muslim civil society organisations in Sri Lanka are inactive. Even though Muslims think rationally, Muslim political leaders remain an obstacle to the community, Abdul Niyas added.
Ensuring democracy
Dr. Abdul Rauff Bizrul Haafi said though democracy is the only means to ensure the safety of a minority community in a country, it is doubtful whether it is accurately practised. The same situation prevails in Sri Lanka today. If the voting rights in a democratic country are not exercised properly, the probability of the wrong person being elected is high and it will lead the country toward anarchy. In countries like the US, they have statutory bodies like the Senate Board to control the Government, in particular the President from misusing his/her power. Due to the lack of such a mechanism in third-world countries, ensuring democracy has become more challenging.
Dr. Bizrul Haafi also suggested that if there are statutory bodies like the Senate in third-world countries, the governing bodies can be kept in check. And then ordinary citizens, in particular the minority communities, will be able to enjoy democratic rights.