Muslim Aid Sri Lanka strongly refutes claims that it funds religious organisations

Friday, 3 May 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Muslim Aid is a UK based international relief and development agency established in 1985, working in over 20 countries with field offices in 12 countries including Cambodia, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Sudan. Muslim Aid works with all in need, regardless of their race, religion, gender, nationality or political persuasion.

Muslim Aid Sri Lanka (MASL) refutes the allegations circulating on social media and other communication channels that funding was made by Muslim Aid to religious organisation – MASL has not given any such donation since its inception in 2004.

MASL was established in the aftermath of the Tsunami in 2004, registered under Ministry of National Integration, Official Languages, Social Progress and Hindu Religious Affairs. MASL’s work is centred to serve all communities in Sri Lanka without considering their religion, race, gender, creed or ethnicity. Promoting the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 01 which is to end poverty, MASL focuses on Economic Empowerment and Livelihood Support to increase the income of vulnerable families in the country.

MASL also implements the provision of clean water and sanitation (WASH) in line with SDG 06. Muslim Aid’s third thematic area of work is humanitarian assistance and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) as well as immediate response and relief/recovery efforts during the event of major disasters in the country.

Humanitarian Assistance and Emergency Relief has been a primary thematic area of work for MASL since its inception. Muslim Aid Sri Lanka throughout the years has swiftly responded to natural disasters and rehabilitation work, having been established in the country as a result of post-tsunami rehabilitation and recovery.

Muslim Aid categorically denies any allegations that they fund and or support any religious organisations in Sri Lanka. Muslim Aid Sri Lanka is a humanitarian organisation and is not a religious organisation, nor does it support any religious ideology or religious group in any form or by any means.

All their official partners are Government-accredited Community Based Organisations, UN organisations, International Non-Governmental Organisations or NGOs, that have operated in Sri Lanka embracing people of all ethnicities and all religions. The organisation consists of teams comprising all communities that have a decade’s worth of experience to operate and implement development projects in the country. Furthermore, Muslim Aid Sri Lanka’s workforce contribute a wealth of collective expertise in many areas of humanitarian work.