{"id":44291,"date":"2015-12-03T17:57:15","date_gmt":"2015-12-03T21:57:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=44291"},"modified":"2015-12-03T17:57:15","modified_gmt":"2015-12-03T21:57:15","slug":"lankan-envoy-to-saudi-arabia-azmi-thassim-commenting-to-saudi-press-allegedly-endorses-execution-of-sri-lankan-woman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=44291","title":{"rendered":"Lankan Envoy to Saudi Arabia Azmi Thassim Commenting to Saudi Press Allegedly Endorses Execution of Sri Lankan Woman"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Shamindra Ferdinando<\/strong><\/p>\n

The government has sought an opportunity urgently to make representations to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding a Sri Lankan woman sentenced to be stoned to death on a charge of adultery.<\/p>\n

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera made the appeal on Wednesday (Dec. 2) during a hastily arranged meeting in Parliament with the Charge d\u2019 Affairs of the Saudi embassy in Colombo.<\/p>\n

Minister Samaraweera urged the Saudi diplomat to arrange for him to speak with Saudi counterpart as soon as possible to seek clemency for the condemned woman. Foreign Employment Minister Thalatha Atukorale, National Integration and Reconciliation Minister A. H. M. Fowzie and Chairman of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment R. K. Obeyesekere joined the discussion.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Foreign Ministry sources on Wednesday night told The Island that the ministers had pleaded with the Charge d\u2019 Affairs to review the decision. The appeal was made in the wake of several organisations protesting in Colombo against the decision.<\/p>\n

Sri Lanka\u2019s Ambassador in Riyadh Azmi Thassim has earned the wrath of organisations protesting against the execution as well as a section of the media for commenting favourably on the upcoming execution. They alleged that the Ambassador had endorsed the Saudi action.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Saudi press recently quoted Thassim as having said that “Our country is looking forward to a positive change and it is our duty as citizens to work together to put the country first,” he said. “It is as important as to start educating our community back in Sri Lanka that they should understand and respect the laws of Saudi Arabia.”<\/p>\n

Ambassador Thassim was speaking during his recent visit to the Sri Lankan International School in Jeddah.<\/p>\n

Thassim decried attacks on the rules and regulations of the Kingdom in the Sri Lankan media.<\/p>\n

“This can harm our relationship with Saudi Arabia,” he said. “The problem lies with the lack of awareness of local laws. If someone is not happy with the laws of the Kingdom, they should choose not to come.”<\/p>\n

“It is essential to educate ourselves and our community on the rules and regulations of a country before we go there,” he said.<\/p>\n

Courtesy:The Island<\/em><\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Shamindra Ferdinando The government has sought an opportunity urgently to make representations to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding a Sri Lankan woman sentenced to be stoned to death on a charge of adultery. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera made the appeal on Wednesday (Dec. 2) during a hastily arranged meeting in Parliament with the …<\/p>\n

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