What Sri Lanka can learn from Deshabandu Jezima Ismail

By Surya Vishwa 

Deshabandu Jezima Ismail needs no introduction. She is veteran educator and one of Sri Lanka’s most prominent social activists who is seen as the country’s matriarch of Muslim civil society and human rights. In 1989, the Sri Lankan Government honoured her with the title of Deshabandu, the third highest national honour.

Following the 21 April Easter Sunday terror attacks she had stepped up her work to bring communities together in Sri Lanka through organisations she founded in the 1980s, namely, the Muslim Women’s Research and Action Forum (MWRAF) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Women’s Conference (SLMWC) and through her diverse networks that extends well beyond the religion she was born into. 

Among the prominent posts she has held include the Vice Chancellorship of the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, chairpersonship of People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), and the post of principal of the Muslim Ladies College, Colombo. She had also been a teacher in the prominent Buddhist school Devi Balika Vidyalaya in the 1950s. As a human rights activist she had been on Sri Lankan committees to look into the last phase of the war in Sri Lanka.

Jezima Ismail is still very much active in creating a country of unity and has honed the ability to hold views in a very balanced manner and is well versed in the spiritual teaching of diverse faiths while following her own religion, Islam, to perfection; in both prescribed prayer and prescribed action. 

Ushering in a lasting peace

In the recent most conversation with her a fortnight ago, the topic was on the need for Sri Lanka to usher in a long-lasting peace and while commenting on this she constantly reminisced the places she grew up in; particularly Sainamarathu of Lanka’s Eastern Province and the cultural heritage of the place that included songs, dance and vibrant colours. 

The Sainamarathu she remembered was one in which all communities of Sri Lanka co-existed and where life of the Muslim community was culturally stimulating, representative of a Muslim East which seems forever lost.

“It cannot be captured again. It is in my memory. I wish this kind of memory was maintained in real life for current generations,” recalls Deshabandu Ismail drawing up in her narrations of elaborate village weddings which had the whole village dancing, gaily dressed ladies in the most fine sarees (bought to the doorstep by vendors – some of them Afghans) and a mother who turned their entire house into an election office during election time because ‘she ran the election booth of the village’.

Once when a British official (this was the time of colonial Ceylon) confronted her father and commented that the election duty undertaken by her mother may pose some domestic difficulty for her and that maybe she should be told to stop it, her father had responded that he has no right to tell his wife whether she should continue working or not). 

“These were our first lessons in feminism. Our father, one of the most precise followers of Islam, was the first feminist we knew.”

Maximising human potential of children

Her recollections of how she and her sisters were brought up is a study on how parents could contribute to maximising the human potential of their children, whatever the gender they belong to. 

“We were three girls and our father was our champion. He followed the Quran to the letter and was highly regarded in society for his knowledge and practice of his religion. He did not see any link between thwarting the rights of women to dress beautifully or socialise or study in non-Islamic schools, as I did or to learn arts. I took to learning singing, dance and debating while one of my sisters became a professional painter.” 

She points to a beautiful painting of real life like a shoe-flower in her drawing room and says that it was painted by her sister.

Art, music, dance and poetry

We focus for a while on art, music, dance and poetry and how important it is for the human mind; to make it sensitive, calm, introspective and empathetic. 

Since she was a professional singer, I ask her to sing something. She promptly begins singing the official song she had sung for the River Valley opening ceremony in the 1960s and aired over Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.

I detect the Western choir training in her voice as well as some Eastern music training. Her Sinhala pronunciation is as beautiful as her voice which has not lost its richness. The patriotic song that she had sung decades ago speaks of Sri Lanka’s hydraulic endowments – this song does not seem to be in circulation now; hence I will quote it as well as I can, having got Ismail to narrate the words so that I could write it down. Any omissions are mine alone.

“Jala Sampa, Wen karala, Jeewaya demu apa mawbimata, Amunu Bendha, Wathura Naga, Pubudamu Siri Lanka Matha. Sorabora, Minneri, Thabowa, Gal Oya, Kirindhi Athi Ramani…” The song is much longer but this is all that I jotted down. 

I will always remember Ismail’s face as she sang these words recollecting a memory so distant; when she was not a Muslim citizen but a Sri Lankan citizen who is a Muslim, singing for Sri Lanka, extolling the water resources of her motherland. She recalls that there was another youth who sang with her – a Sri Lankan citizen of Tamil ethnicity. He has passed away some years back she states. 

Briefness of life and rebirth

She then dwells on the briefness of life and quips that she does not know how much longer she has in this world and I respond that she looks so young that could well outlive me! I ask her if she believes in rebirth. She says that as a Muslim that she does not but however adds that she has read some interesting information pertaining to re-birth as per the Buddhist and Hindu way of interpreting what happens after death. 

I feel like telling her, ‘Mrs. Ismail if there is indeed truth in rebirth please try and return to this country in other lives to usher in peace and goodwill this nation so desperately needs.’ Yet I don’t, because I am not sure if it will be offensive or not to her religious sentiments.

A champion for comparative spirituality

Her knowledge and respect of other religions is absolute. Once in a previous conversation, she suddenly went silent and said that it was the time of the Catholic Angelus bell (the Catholic version of the call to prayer). 

She has knowledge of Buddhist meditation practices such as Vipassana and has carried out till recently yoga exercises for achieving a healthy body and mind. A champion for comparative spirituality to be taught in Sri Lanka she believes that this will contribute to strengthening appreciation of one’s own religion because it will show the parallel paths to truth, belief or liberation. 

She believes that immersing oneself in studying comparative spirituality/religion for the purpose of understanding commonalities of diverse faiths will be a way forward to ensuring human beings develop broad vision, comprehension and gentle behaviour towards each other. 

Approach of constant learning

Although Jezima Ismail is a senior educator she sits on her knowledge lightly – her approach is one of constant learning.

“All educators should realise that they are lifelong students. If this realisation is not there, then there will be obstacles to creating a truly ‘educated’ person,” she quips. 

A national unity model

Before I leave I ask her what she thinks of a national unity model within the concept of a Sinhala civilisation and she responds that this is how it was in the time of Sinhala kings whose relations with the early Muslim visitors and settlers in this country were excellent. She points out how the Muslims of Lanka helped the Sinhala kings defend the nation against the foreign invaders. Historians believe that it is during the Portuguese invasion that Muslims settled in the East of the country on land bestowed by the Sinhala monarchy.

“Muslims of Sri Lanka had carved out a beautiful Sri Lankan culture within the larger Buddhist culture. We brought in added zest to this country’s cultural tapestry and I do not see any conflict in existing within the concept of a Sinhala civilisation – this is indeed needed – the overall culture of a country has to be protected and those of all other communities,” she points out. 

Protecting human rights of all persons

I keep in mind that Ismail is one of Sri Lanka’s senior most human rights activists and I ask her about the importance of Sri Lankans contributing to protecting the human rights of all persons in the country.

“Everyone should think of each other. I grew up in a Muslim family where Islam was respected as a religion and as a daily practice in kindness and understanding. I studied in a Catholic school where these qualities were further strengthened through exposure to the Christian ethics and learning about the life of Christ. In my work as a human rights activist I have interacted with number of Buddhist clergy members and I have learnt so many wonderful things about the Buddhist philosophy,” she explains. 

Clearly the intellectual and spiritual benefit Deshabandu Ismail has achieved throughout her life is because of the receptiveness of her mind and its unclouded nature that is totally devoid of prejudice. She is one of the few persons I have ever met, in Sri Lanka and elsewhere who is a human rights activist truly meriting that term – she has no agendas whatsoever except the humane agenda and she has absolutely no pre-conceived notions or bias.

She speaks of her extended family members who have married into other faiths, almost as if not recognising that it is another ‘faith’. When I persist and ask she smiles and says, “Don’t you know, there was sometimes a little opposition from some relatives as usual from both sides of the family… but nothing major…”

For the good of this nation, this page will continue in the weeks to come to focus on the life, work and thoughts of one of Sri Lanka’s greatest assets, Jezima Ismail.