Justice Minister says no intention to raise communal tensions with revelation of ISIS recruits

Minister of Justice Wijedasa Rajapakshe says there was no intention to incite racism behind his recent statement that several Sri Lankans have gone to Syria to join the Islamic State.

Community leaders and politicians representing the Muslim community strongly objected to the recent statement made by Minister Rajapakshe in Parliament regarding the Muslim community that 32 well-educated Sri Lankan Muslims of four families have joined the Islamic State in Syria.

The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka (MCSL), strongly objecting to the Minister’s statement, pointed out that the facts given by the Minister were reported in the media more than a year ago and that the minister’s statement implied that 32 Muslims have joined ISIS recently.

Speaking to media in Kandy, after paying a visit to the Chief Prelates of Malwatta and Asgiriya, Minister Rajapakshe said he wanted to draw attention to dangerous situations that could arise from hiding the facts regarding ISIS recruits.

Justifying his statement, the Justice Minister said that even international media in foreign countries have published information related to individuals joining ISIS in order to suppress terrorist attacks. However, some websites are publishing false news reports and causing damage to the independence of the country’s judiciary, as well eroding the confidence of the public in the judicial system, the Minister said.

The Justice Minister charged that a small number of journalists are using the situation to spread false news reports and create a media mafia.