By
Shan Samsudeen
(Text of an open letter being circulated which urges Muslims to think out of the box to cope with current crisis)
To Jamithul Ulama
211,Orabi Pasha Street,
Colombo-10.
Sri Lanka****
10th Feb 2013
Assalamu Alakimum My Dear Brothers & Sisters;
May the peace & blessing of Allah be upon all Sri Lankans.
I feel that this letter has to be sent to the relevant authorities concerned Specially the ULAMA the Scientist the ULAMMA DEEN the Scientist of Religion. Before things go out of hand & blood is spilled in the streets before very long. I consider this as a duty of mine & if you all take these matters seriously or not only Allah knows best. I pray that sanity prevails & we all Sri Lankans will live like one big family.
First of all we must be mindful that we all are Human beings. No matter what Religion or Race we belong too. We all have the same needs & wants. There is no difference in this at all. The Blood of all ours are red in colour though the outer appearance is difference in skin colour & texture etc.
The present dilemma where the Muslims have become the target by the Majority Buddhist community is not a new one. But after winning the war where many Muslims participated & were too killed there is a new impetus of this Muslim hate. This is not a problem only in Sri Lanka.
In Indonesia Christians are treated badly, In Pakistan the Hindus & Christians are treated badly even they can’t allow our own brothers who are Shias to pray the Friday Prayers where they have suicide bombers inside Shia mosques. Our Own Muslim Majority communities too have the same attitudes. In India the Hindus treat Muslims badly etc.
To understand this problem we have to think out of the box. We have to change roles at least for a few hours & think like a Fundamentalist Buddhist. Why & what has triggered this problem.
Thinking in favour of us only as Muslims will never solve this problem at all. There is no smoke without a fire. Politician will be politicians from all sides they will talk to their benefit having an eye at the Vote bank. If we as Muslims want to live in this Land Sri Lanka will have to seriously think why & what has triggered this trend & how can we rectify this problem. Not temporarily
but for future generations to come.
No country on earth even the Muslim Countries where there are more than 50 in the United Nations will give us citizenship in their countries. Sad to say even in some of those Muslim countries we do not have the religious freedom we enjoy in Sri Lanka. We have over Thirty Six Thousand Mosques in Sri Lanka & we are allowed to practice our Islamic law system in our Marriages etc where even in India this privilege is not allowed legally. Beef is allowed to be slaughtered legally & sold in the markets. Though the Buddhist consider the Cow a sacred animal (For that matter in real philosophy of Buddhism all animals are sacred no killing in encouraged in Hinayana Buddhism what is practiced in Sri Lanka).
It’s a very good example what is happening in Burma & the Rohinga Muslims. Nobody wants them even Bangladesh being a Muslim Country they too are refusing to take the Three Hundred Thousand Muslims Rohingas. It’s a very sad spectacle to see boat loads being sent back to Burma to be ill treated. Not a single Muslim Country wants to take them & offer citizenship out of the so called 50 odd Muslim Countries. I do not need to elaborate further on this subject what will happen to around Two Million Muslims in Sri Lanka if things go out of hand.
My Humble view why fights or hatred starts & ends is because of Economics. I am not aware how many of you have been reading the hate mails & the web sites in Sinhala. I speak & read Sinhala 100% & understand what they are meaning. Some facts are highly absurd but some make sense. If we are living in a Muslim Country others come & dominate the economy then leave us to eat the crumbs I am sure we too will react in the same way.
*What they are saying in a nutshell*
1. This country will become a Muslim country by Year 2089 as we produce around 6 children per family & the Mosque encourages this.
From All Business profits 05% are channeled to the mosques.
2. More than 50% of the economy is controlled by Non Buddhist mainly
the Muslims. As such avoid purchasing anything from their outlets if you want to be a true Nationalist Buddhist purchase only from Buddhist outlets.
Even Cargill’s & Keels Super are to be avoided as per their message. They consider them too non Buddhist establishments. There is a list of names of companies to be avoided.
3. These hate mails & web sites are circulated all over & even given to School Children to create a fear psychosis that we Buddhist will become a minority in this Buddhist Land economically deprived of the benefits from our land.
*The facts are*
1. The Muslim Community works harder & takes risk.
2. The Habit of Drinking Alcohol is not in the Majority of the Muslim community.
*3. *They Cheat, Lie & bribe authorities to make money & their income becomes *Haram not Halal though it looks Halal in the surface.*
4. Only 20% of the Muslim Community is Rich the Balance is not. In fact we have also around 40% of the Muslim community who are very poor in Sri Lanka. If not we will not need to send our Muslim Women abroad to work as House maids in the Middle East. Rizana is a good example.
5. The 20% who are rich has this big weakness of showing off by wearing expensive watches / clothing / purchasing very big + new expensive vehicles. Building their houses larger than the mosques & having parapet walls around them, which is a big eye sore to be seen by the others & to show off this house as the best house in the whole street.
6. Not honouring commitments playing left right & center with banks /
dated cheques + payments etc.
7. The Prison Population is almost 25% of Muslims compared to the 9.6% Muslim population in Sri Lanka.
8. Using the Religion Islam with carefully crafted great beautiful words in Arabic to deceive the masses.
9. The new trend of covering our women from top to toe by some
fanatically motivated Muslims. Where you can see only the two eyes. This is a very new trend in Sri Lanka which has started very recently. This makes our Women look like Ninjas or they call them “Goni Billas”. Recently I witness this spectacle where a small child was crying seeing this woman with the face covering. Socks & Gloves.
*Now what is the Solution we can take to rectify this major problem?*
1. Learn to live & let live.
2. Try to understand their concerns have empathy think like a Buddhist Fundamentalist
3. At Least employ a minimum of 50% or more Non Muslims in your companies let the majority of them be Buddhist.
4. Close our shops early than usual on some days have a win / win situation allow others to earn their living too. Do not grab the whole thing. They too have families & children. Do not be greedy to have everything. At last you will end losing all. Do not open up shop after shop in every town.
5. When we give charity set aside 50% to Non Muslims (of course not the Zakath) but considering all Zakath can be given to the Muslims. Then the other charitable payments channel it more to the Buddhist Community have a good Balance.
6. Help the Temple in the area where you have your business in there day to day needs like food etc.
7. Avoid completely the show offness attitude be more humble we all die one day Islam asks us to be more humble. Richer the person he has to be more humble.
8. Avoid purchasing & running around in expensive show off vehicles.
9. Avoid building houses to show others you are rich.
10. Avoid having expensive weddings / Have the intention to give another 8 girls in marriage when your daughter or son gets married. Choose 2 Buddhist / 2 Hindus / 2 Christians & 2 Muslim Girls who are suffering because of not being able to get married. Spend less on your daughters or Sons Marriages. Be an example to the society. Your children’s marriage will blessed too.
11. Avoid Women wearing & showing off Gold Jewellary in Public in a very big way.
12. Mingle with all people you do not need to eat Pork or drink alcohol.
Remember they are your clients. You have to make good relationships with all. Have Healthy relationship without breaking your fundamental rules in Islam.
13. Avoid covering the faces of Women. This is a very dangerous trend for a country coming out of War after 30 years. We never know who is inside this mask. Recently a robbery was attempted in a bank in Kandy with the face cover & hijab dressed like a Women by an Army deserter. This tactic will be used again & the Muslim community will be targeted unfairly.
Further there is nothing mentioned in the Quran of the covering of the face anywhere at all. I would like you all to read this web link where this covering of the face breeds more Homo Sexuals than protecting your females in Afghanistan. Where Kandahar is the Homo Sexual capital in Asia like Amsterdam in Europe. It’s good to protect but too much will lead to unwanted unnecessary problems. We do not need unwanted problems any more.
http://articles.latimes.com/2002/apr/03/news/mn-35991
http://archives.dailymirror.lk/2003/02/01/opinion/4.html
http://tornafghanistan.tripod.com/id16.html
I would like to end my letter by saying too much of anything is good for nothing.
May Allah guide all human beings in Sri Lanka to live in peace & harmony.
Assalamu Alikum
Let peace Prevail every where.
Shan Samsudeen