Tuesday Sep 24, 2024
Tuesday Sep 24, 2024
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By Chandani Kirinde
Achchi Mohammadu Hasthun who carried out the suicide bomb attack at the Katuwapitiya Church in Negombo had come to the Maligawatta office of the Ceylon Thowheed Jamath (CTJ) in 2015 and asked for assistance to convert his Hindu girlfriend to Islam so that they could get married, a witness told the Parliament Select Committee (PSC) investigating the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
CTJ General Secretary Abdul Razeek alias Razeek Rafeekdeen said Hasthun has come to the CTJ with Sara Pulasthini who wanted to convert to Islam and since both were over 18 years of age, (Sara was 19-years-old), the CTJ had said agreed to arrange it and she converted to Islam. “They wanted us to give them lodging which we refused to do. Sara’s mother got to know they were in Colombo and wanted to take her home. On 5 August 2015 we escorted them to the Maligawatta Police Station and told them to solve their issues. Sara went with her mother but came back again with Hasthun in September 2015. She said that her mother did not let her to practice Islam and she wanted to get married. They married after that. But in December 2015 she sent us a letter that she wanted to divorce Hasthun and that she had given up Islam,” the witness said.
Hasthun was a resident of Valachchenai and carried out the deadliest of the 21 April suicide bombings at the St. Sebastian’s Church which left over 115 worshippers dead and injured close to 200 others. His wife Pulasthini died in the explosion at a terrorist safehouse in Sainthamaruthu on 28 April.
The CTJ General Secretary who appeared before the Committee on Thursday was questioned in length by the PSC members about controversial remarks he had made in the past about Buddhism.
“We prepared a lecture containing some facts against Buddhism. That was when certain Buddhist groups were condemning Islam. I made a mistake. I have already apologised at several forums in public in this regard. My erroneous statement was made in May 2013 and in the same month I tendered my apology,” he said.Razeek also said the CTJ was staunchly opposed to the ISIS. “I have condemned them and stated in public that it is a terrorist group. I have copies of paper statements and audio clips of my statements condemning IS and anyone taking arms to propagate religion.”
Razeek also said that there were differences of opinion among those practicing the Thowheed form of Islam and traditional practitioners of the faith. “We have pointed out that it is wrong for Muslim women to cover their faces and wear veils. The covering of face was only prescribed for the wives of Prophet Mohamed. He had 11 wives and only those 11 could cover their faces as a mean to set them apart from other women. It is wrong for other Muslim women to cover their faces,” he said.
The CTJ General Secretary added that what Islam says is for its followers to integrate into the culture they live in and adapt themselves accordingly in manner of dress.
Razeek also said that the leader of the terror outfit Zahran Hashim was never a member of either the Sri Lanka Thowheed Jamath (SLTJ) or the CTJ but had formed a group called the National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) on his own.
“He had formed an organisation called Dharul Athar from which he was expelled after which he formed the NTJ. We understand he was expelled from that also. Zahran was known by many Muslims because of the videos he posted on his Facebook page. He began advocating violence against the Buddhist after the Digana attacks,” the witness said. The Committee sittings comprised of Chairman Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri, Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Minister Ravi Karunanayake, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Prof. Ashu Marasinghe, M.A. Sumanthiran, Rauff Hakeem, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka and Dr.Jayampathy Wickremaratne.
Pix by Shehan Gunasekara
