Muslim Council writes to President over danger in alleged visit of Myanmar monk

Saturday, 27 September 2014 00:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lanka Muslim Council has written to President Mahinda Rajapaksa over the danger in the alleged visit of Myanmar’s extremist monk Ven. Ashin Wirathu to Sri Lanka to attend Bodu Bala Sena’s Great Sangha Council meeting scheduled for 28 September. In its letter, also copied to Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Muslim Council has said Ven. Ashin Wirathu is the dreaded leader of the 969 Movement in Myanmar. He is also known as the Butcher of the Burmese Muslims. As the leader of the anti-Muslim movement in Myanmar, he has been responsible for hundreds of Muslims murdered by extremist Buddhists. “There are strong rumours that he has been invited by the Bodu Bala Sena to attend their ‘Great Sangha Council’ meeting on 28 September 2014,” the letter stated. It said Time magazine, with Ven. Ashin Wirathu in the cover page branded him as the face of Buddhist terror in Burma. Your Excellency, the presence of such a person who has caused so much violence on the Burmese Muslims would be a real threat to peace and peaceful co-existence in Sri Lanka. Many across the world have accused him of inciting violence against Myanmar’s Muslim minority with fiery sermons claiming that the growth of Islam is putting Buddhism and Burmese culture at risk. His presence and speech at the Sangha Council meeting may incite further violence against the Muslims, similar to the speech of Ven. Galabode Aththe Ganansara Thero’s made in Aluthgama which caused the rioting in Aluthgama and Beruwela in June 2014. Further, the Government of Sri Lanka faces the possibility of being accused of tacit support to Buddhist extremist groups who are indulging in a hate campaign against minorities in Sri Lanka, if Ven. Ashin Virathu is granted permission to visit the country. “We believe that the nexus between the Bodu Bala Sena and 969 organisations for an anti-Muslim campaign was initiated during the visit of Ven. Gnanasara Thero to Myanmar a few months back,” claimed the Muslim Council. “The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, on behalf of the Muslim community in Sri Lanka kindly requests Your Excellency to ensure that no visa is granted to Ven. Ashin Wirathu to visit Sri Lanka as he would pose a serious threat to peace in our beloved motherland,” said the letter urging President Rajapaksa’s immediate attention and necessary action.

Sec-Gen of OIC calls on President Rajapaksa

OIC expresses continuous admiration for pioneering steps taken by President Rajapaksa

Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad Ameen Madani with President Mahinda Rajapaksa The Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Iyad Ameen Madani called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday in New York City. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly taking place this week. President Rajapaksa said that with the election of Madani to the office of OIC Secretary General, Sri Lanka hopes to facilitate greater collaboration and cooperation between OIC countries. Madani took over as Secretary General in January of 2014. “We don’t consider Sri Lanka as outside the OIC,” Madani told President Rajapaksa. “We consider it as inside OIC. Expressing that the OIC appreciates the ‘pioneering steps’ the President has taken, Madani said that the organisation has ‘continuous admiration’ for Sri Lanka and looks forward to helping Sri Lanka enhance relations with OIC member states. Discussing certain religiously-motivated, isolated incidents that have occurred in the recent past, President Rajapaksa assured Madani that the Government will take immediate action to deal with any incidents against the Muslim community. “I will look after the Muslim community like my own brothers,” President Rajapaksa said. The President encouraged Madani and other OIC member countries to visit Sri Lanka to see for themselves the ground realities in the country and how many diverse communities coexist peacefully. Madani invited President Rajapaksa to make another visit to Saudi Arabia. Sri Lanka currently has 14 diplomatic missions in the Middle East region – an indication of the importance the Government places in enhanced cooperation with Muslim majority countries. Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs Kshenuka Senewiratne, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Dr. Palitha Kohona and Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the United States Prasad Kariyawasam were present during this meeting.