Dayasiri alleges Haleem issued permits to set up NTJ dens

SLFP urged the Govt. to set up special courts to hear cases against Muslim extremists

By Sandun A. Jayasekera

SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara alleged that Muslim Religious Affairs Minister M.H.A. Haleem had issued permits to set up 40 National Tawheed Jamaat (NTJ) dens in the Kandy District and 400 others countrywide since 2015.  

He said certain politicians had aided the NTJ movement to prosper and spread fundamentalist Muslim ideologies that culminated with a series of suicide bombings on Easter Sunday claiming some 260 innocent lives. 

Addressing the weekly news briefing held at the party office, he said the SLFP urged the government to set up special courts to hear cases against Muslim extremists as the entire country expected them to be dealt with the law as soon as possible. 

He thanked President Maithripala Sirisena for taking action to proscribe two Muslim fundamentalist groups and ban the face veil. He said the President was doing a commendable job to put an end to Muslim fundamentalism. 

“We must convince our Muslim brethren that the government’s fight is against the Muslim extremists who have put their families in danger. We trust and protect all innocent Muslims. Almost 99.9% of the Muslims who have coexisted with other communities for centuries are God fearing Sri Lankans. It is the duty and responsibility of all non-Muslims to provide them protection. All Madrasas and Muslim religious schools with links to Tawheed dens must be banned. We appreciate the assistance extended by the peace-loving Muslim community to raid the said dens and apprehend 154 suspects. All extremist Muslim organisations are funded by foreign NGOs. It was because of the support extended by law-abiding Muslims that there was no terrorist attack since the Easter Sunday carnage,” he said. 

The Muslim fundamentalist terrorists are not fighting for a separate State but to promote an extremely-evil ideology. Therefore, the fight against them must be a war with modern weaponry

He thanked the Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, for taking action to calm and pacify his congregation and prevent a possible bloodbath following the Easter Sunday terror. 
Meanwhile, MP Weerakumara Dissanayake said Muslim extremists could not be fought in the same way war heroes did with the LTTE. 

“The Muslim fundamentalist terrorists are not fighting for a separate State but to promote an extremely-evil ideology. Therefore, the fight against them must be a war with modern weaponry,” he said. 

He appealed to political parties not to capitalise on this national calamity but to extend their utmost support to the armed forces and the police to carry out their duty without any interference. 
Pic by Pradeep Dilrukshana