BATHIUDEEN THREATENS TO TAKE THEIR CASE TO UN, ISLAMIC WORLD

In a dramatic turn of events, local Muslim leaders, who resigned from their Cabinet portfolios, are now preparing to internationalise the issues they are faced with. They will shortly be meeting the United Nations (UN) Resident Representative in Sri Lanka and also the powerful Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) – the world’s second largest inter-governmental organization after the UN.

“We decided to take several collective actions within the next few days …to meet members of the diplomatic community in Sri Lanka, to meet the UN Resident Representative in Sri Lanka and we will also meet Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) – the world’s second largest inter-governmental organisation after the UN” said the Leader of ACMC Rishad Bathiudeen MP yesterday (7 June) in Colombo.

Bathiudeen MP, accompanied by MPs and members of his party, was addressing the media after he visited the Police HQ in Colombo to lodge his complaints with the IGP.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation is the collective voice of the Muslim world. OIC has membership of 57 countries in four continents and works to protect the interests of Muslims across the world.

“MP Wimal Weerawansa has been irresponsibly and falsely accusing me and is creating an inter-ethnic issue by his actions. His conspiratorial accusations are divisive and creating ethnic hatred by their very nature” said Bathiudeen MP.

“Today I complained to the IGP against this, calling for an immediate inquiry and legal action by Police. We had no dealings with terrorist Zahran. I never met Zahran. I never saw him. Therefore, MP Weerawansa’s allegations that Zahran used vehicles belonging to SATHOSA, which was under me, for his terrorist activities, is totally false. It is also irresponsible. Also SB Dissanayake is exacting political revenge from me now since I did not extend my support to them during the 52-day coup in October 2018.

Today, we also lodged a complaint against Dissanayake MP for the false accusations he is making against me and his malicious propaganda. We Muslims have coexisted with all other ethnic groups of Sri Lanka and we never supported ISIS or any form of terrorism. Therefore, statements by Weerawansa and Dissanayake MPs are creating a new rift in our country where Muslims were attacked in places like Minuwangoda and Kuliyapitiya by some other terrorists.

“Muslim religious leaders, political leaders and Muslims in areas such as Sainthamarudu extended their fullest support to wipe out terrorists as well. We are also of the firm belief that ISIS terrorism should be wiped out from Sri Lanka. At a time we are trying to voice this consensus and helping to eradicate terrorists, it is very sad that such allegations are levelled at us by these MPs, and therefore we have filed our complaint today.

Muslim Ministers did not step down just because the Opposition asked us to do so; we did so out of out of our concern for the country. We respect the call by Most Ven Mahanayakes to former Muslim Ministers to re-join the government portfolios and see it as a slap on extremists. We met yesterday and decided to take several collective actions within the next few days. We will meet Most Ven Mahanayakes, the Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, Leaders of Political Parties including the JVP and TNA and other leaders –Mona Ganesan, Radhakrishnan, Digambaram, all diplomatic members in Sri Lanka, UN Resident Representative in Sri Lanka, and we will even go and meet Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) –world’s second largest inter-governmental organization after the UN.”