SPEECH MADE BY ASH-SHAIKH H. ABDUL NAZAR,
GENERAL SECRETARY OF ALL CEYLON JAMIYYATHUL ULAMA
AT THE MEETING ORGANIZED BY THE MINISTRY OF CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS AND NATIONAL INTEGRATION
AT THE SRI LANKA FOUNDATION INSTITUTE ON 20.06.2005

Presiding Officer, the Clergy, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very much honoured by the kind invitation extended to me by the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs and National Integration to be with you on this significant occasion to share with you my views on the present peace process.

For the second time, we have converged here to discuss about bringing about the lasting peace to this war-torn country from anywhere. We met here before on 29th of January 2005 to discuss the same theme, and as far as I can remember, I have insisted on “give and take approach” if we really and honestly want to see a lasting peace and tranquility between the warring factions and suggested a peace and reconciliation committee comprising representatives of all the parties and communities to achieve this gigantic target.

Almost six months have passed since the tidal wave devastated our blessed motherland, and we are waiting anxiously with every passing day for the promising peace to come. Unfortunately more and more misunderstandings and more and more disputes cross our path pushing back the progress of the widely expected peace. For me, all these misunderstandings and disputes are preventable if we steadfastly dedicate ourselves to peace.

With great hesitation I would like to point out the very recent happening in the Trincomalee District. The controversial Buddha statue in Trincomalee has provoked the Tamil community, and we happened to hear nasty commotions from not only where the Tamil community is in a majority but also in the Supreme Council of this country.

I humbly request you all not to brand me as a sympathizer of anti-Buddha statue campaigners. On the contrary, I would like to raise the question why we tend to do such things while the country is at stake and there are more and more to do in haste to see the country rising to its feet once again. I honestly believe that such inappropriate actions in inappropriate times could jeopardize the peace process rather than instilling of religious values into people.

As the representative of the highest religious authority of the Muslim community of Sri Lanka, I believe that religious institutions and religious leaders have a crucial role to play for the stability of the country. They could build a bridge between the political leaders and people in order to scale down tensions when controversial issues crop up. Both the general public and the political leaders need advice and guidance of the religious leaders. Religious leaders must have common strategy to guide the new generation that could lead the country without hatred, discriminations and ethnic differences.

At this juncture I wish to point out a very saddening attitude of the political leaders. They fail to obtain the advice of the religious leaders at the initial stage of planning, designing, etc. But if the worst comes to the worst, then only the politicos open their eyes and tend to listen to the religious leaders. The saddest part of this phenomenon is that some politicians try to put the blame on the religious leaders at the last moment when everything has fizzled out.

Unless all the communities respect each other in all aspects, understand the feelings of each other, preserve the rights of one another, have regard for the theories of equality of human beings, brotherhood of human beings and freedom of faith and adopt the “give and take approach”, peace cannot materialize, and Herculean efforts of the religious leaders and others to establish peace will, undoubtedly, end in vain.

Let me conclude by saying that we cannot bring down peace from heaven. It has to come out from the bottom of the heart of each and every citizen of this country.

May Almighty Allah bless this beautiful Island with eternal peace, happiness and prosperity and make today’s discussion constructive, successful and fruitful.

Thank you.

 

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*   Peace move
*   Peace process
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*   PLC
*   Purpose of knowledge
*   Social harmony
*   Vocational training centre
*   Vote of thanks
*   Welcome speech