Power-sharing 'must ensure Muslim rights'

A leading Sri Lankan Muslim who attended this month's Oslo peace talks between the government and the Tamil Tigers warned that failure to ensure the rights of Muslims in the proposed power sharing arrangements may derail the entire process.

"Frustrated Muslim youth in the north and east have already started talking in terms of taking up arms to preserve their rights," said M.I.M. Mohideen who attended the Oslo meeting as the advisor to Sri Lanka Muslim Congress President and cabinet minister Rauf Hakeem, during a brief stopover in Dubai on his way home.

He said, "tired of war and violence, all are longing for peace and to ensure the success of these efforts it is essential that every community's interests adequately represented in any power sharing arrangements.

"And this is the reason why we are keen that we are not left behind in the political changes which is bound to decide the destiny of the country for years to come."

"Unfortunately the Muslim community is in disarray as the SLMC, which must present the Muslim case in all these talks, is caught between its loyalty to the government and its obligations to the community."

The SLMC also lacks a clear agenda, work programme, strategy or target to meet the desires and aspirations of the community, said Mohideen.

According to him, the recent leadership crisis and the infighting within the SLMC, deliberately precipitated by various political forces, dashed all hopes of Muslims on the ability of the present set of politicians to work for their cause.

The crisis broke a day before the Oslo conference began on December 2, with Hakeem leaving the conference before it began and rushing to Colombo to deal with the crisis.

Frustrated Muslims, who accuse their politicians of being more keen on preserving their seats than working for the community, are now getting together to work under Muslim Rights Association to present their case.

Reiterating the need to include Muslims in the power sharing arrangements in the north-east, Mohideen pointed out that Muslims who constitute 7.6 per cent of the total population of 17.6 million are scattered all over the country, though more than one third of them live in the North and East.

The two communities, Tamils and Muslims, lived for centuries in absolute harmony until the Tamil Tigers appeared in the scene and chased out more than 60,000 Muslims who still live in refugee camps and private houses in the Sinhalese areas.

Furthermore, Tamil Tigers continue to obstruct Muslim refugees from returning home although thousands of Tamils, who left voluntarily are freely returning and illegally occupying the properties of Muslims with the help of Tamil Tigers.

So far more than 55,000 acres of Muslim-owned paddy lands were grabbed by Tamils and the irony is that SLMC is not in a position to even submit details requested by Tamil Tigers who agreed to return these lands.

He said, "Muslims and Tamils in the north east are destined to live together. But the strategy of the Tamil Tigershas been to weaken Muslims economically.

"They robbed Muslim-owned businesses, kidnapped businessmen for ransom, killed Muslim fishermen and prevented others from fishing, attacked religious and cultural symbols, massacred Muslims at prayers in the mosques of Akkaraipattu, Kattankudi and Eravur, murdered returning Haj pilgrims and denied access to mosques".

As recent as June this year they abducted 13 Muslims and the bodies of two Muslim youths were burnt in front of their parents and government security forces besides denying a burial according Muslim rites.

Under the circumstances it is extremely essential that the extent of the power sharing for Muslims need to be clearly earmarked in the proposed merged north and east which will be under Tamil Tiger administration with their own police, judiciary, central bank and other provisions, said Mohideen.