Who is the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday bombings?

I am referring the first part of your article titled ‘Who is the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday bombings?’ which appeared in the Daily FT on 21 April.

On Naufer Moulavi, it states: “He excelled in studies at the Madrassah and obtained a scholarship to the Islahiya Arabic College in Madampe run by the Sri Lanka Jamaat-E-Islami (SLJI) organisation.

“Naufer followed two courses of study at Islahiyyah. On the one hand he followed classes enabling him to sit for the GCE (AL) examination while studying to be formally ordained as a Moulavi on the other. He was successful in both and became a Moulavi. However it was at Madampe that the lad from Kattankudy got exposed to Islamic fundamentalism and became radicalised.”

First of all I would like state that Islahiyyah Arabic College is an independent institution and not run by the Sri Lanka Jamaathe Islami. Further, Islahiyyah is a fee-levying institution and doesn’t offer any scholarships to any of its students.

It is true that Naufer studied at Islahiyyah Arabic College around 20-25 years ago. He was my batch mate at this college. After a disciplinary inquiry for his misconduct and unruly behaviour, he was expelled from the college in 1999. Since then he became an opponent and critic of the college, tarnishing its image.

It is very unfortunate that this alleged criminal has succeeded in his mischievous endeavour to the extent that his version of his college life has been accepted as the solid fact, not requiring any verifications, by a person of your calibre as well as the members of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Easter Sunday Attack.

The fact is that he didn’t complete his course of studies at Islahiyyah and was never awarded any certificate of Moulavi or any other, rather expelled from the college for serious breach of discipline and misconduct. We have given to investigating officers all the details with relevant documents to establish our claim.

The college has been in existence for the last 41years in a multi ethnic surrounding. It is registered at the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs. It is entirely wrong to say that Naufar was radicalised during his college life. The college curriculum and its co-curricular activities never included any such component. Rather, Islahiyyah has a record for its zero tolerance for radical thoughts.  

A significant instance is that, in 1998, one year after the establishment of the college, the students informed the management that the then Principal of the College was saying that Muslims should respect only Islamic laws and are not required to follow the laws of the country. The management immediately sacked him after an inquiry.  

The PCoI which has levelled more sweeping comments on Islahiyyah never bothered to call the college management to hear its side of the story, undermining a cardinal norm of natural justice.

We know you as a person who always stands for justice and hope that the injustice done to the college and its reputation by way of your writing would be rectified.

Dr. M.Z.M. Mufeer PhD

Director

Islahiyyah Arabic College

Madampe