Presiding Officer, the Clergy, Ladies and Gentlemen,
We have assembled here to discuss
about the viable future peace process, long before
the tears of thousands of our fellow country men
and women have not dried out. We are here to discuss
about the future peace process while thousands of
men, women and children are suffering in the refugee
camps and other form of temporary shelters, maintaining
stoic silence, with a big question about their future.
The disaster that this war-torn nation happened
to encounter lately, is the worst tragedy in our
living memory.
Before the tsunami hit this fragile
nation, every community of this country was at each
other’s throats. Before the tidal wave, the
nasty civil war claimed thousands of lives and made
thousands homeless. Now the tsunami has followed
suit. Then, the Tamil community blamed the Sinhala
community for undermining their rights and the Muslim
community blamed the Tamil community for uprooting
them from their own soil. Now nobody knows who is
to be blamed. Now everyone wants to join hands with
others to rebuild the country. Unity is the theme
that is spoken widely. Yet, the pandemonium rises
every day that the victims of North and East are
overlooked for relief operation and rehabilitation
activities.
The profound question before us
now is whether all the parties concerned genuinely
long to sit and talk without any pre-conditions
and all the parties concerned are ready to sit and
talk with give and take approach. These are the
questions that could determine the fate of the viable
future peace process. When I mention about the give
and take approach, my mind recalls the pact that
Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) entered
into with his rivals.
Let me speak a few words about
the Pact of Hudaibia, one of the world famous pacts
in the world’s history. For the first time
after his expulsion from his own soil, Prophet Muhammad
(Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) proceeded to Mecca
to perform the Umra, one of the significant obligations
in Islam, with his followers. His forward movement
was blocked by his enemies at a place called “Hudaibia”.
Both parties agreed to a truce. Most of the articles
of the treaty entered into, were obviously against
Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
According to one article, Muhammad
(Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) had to go back to Medina
without performing Umra rituals. Another depicted
that in case one from rivals’ side happens
to go to Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam),
he must return him to his rivals, and if anyone
from Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam)’s
side happens to go to his rivals, he would not be
sent back to Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
The most disadvantageous situation was that Muhammad
(Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) was not allowed to
inscribe his title in the accord as Apostle of Allah.
However, how humiliating it was, Muhammad (Sallallahu
alaihi wasallam), by his own hand, erased the title,
as a gesture of goodwill. Despite his loyal comrades’
strong protest, he returned to Mecca without performing
Umra. Finally, he saw the treaty he entered into
with his rivals, worked well for him.
Now let us consider the peace move
that every son and daughter of this country long
to see? For me, peace and reconciliation in Sri
Lanka is only a lip-service. No one seems to reach
a workable settlement with heart and mind with dedication
and commitment. 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.
It is not a black hole, too, if all the warring
parties listen to each other and speak with open-mindedness.
Everybody has to bear in mind that achieving of
lasting peace is totally impossible unless the people
have regard for the theories of equality of human
beings, brotherhood of human beings and freedom
of faith.
It is now on everyone’s
lip that the tsunami has paved the way for a fresh
start of the peace talk. The tsunami, of course,
did not discriminate against communities, political
parties, social standings, religious and other institutions
and warring factions. We saw members of the Sinhala,
Tamil, Muslim and Burgher communities saving the
lives of the members of each other’s communities,
helping to bury the dead of each other’s communities,
feeding, clothing and sheltering each other and
converting religious institutions of all communities
as temporary shelters for the affected without any
discrimination of religion, cast or creed.
This catastrophe brought about
the feeling of oneness, the feeling of belonging
to one nation of human beings and the feeling of
international fraternity. As a result of this calamity,
we saw the opposition members in Parliament pledging
their absolute support for the relief and reconstruction
efforts of the Government, overflowing kindness
to the affected without any reservation and abundance
of sympathy and help from the nations of the world,
monetary institutions and international and national
non-governmental organizations. We saw Her Excellency,
the President extending her hand in friendship to
the female LTTE cadres.
From where to resume the peace
talk is the pertinent question now and has become
the focal point. On this important occasion, let
me suggest a peace and reconciliation committee
comprising representatives of all the parties and
communities. So that, changing of the governments
will not sidetrack the peace move. We have a good
lesson in the recent history of South Africa’s
Nelson Mandela era. He appointed a peace and reconciliation
commission under the chairmanship of Archbishop
Desmond too too. Representatives from all communities
were absorbed into the Too Too Commission. As a
result, people enjoy peace there. That country has
11 languages. All the 11 languages have official
status. We have only three. Official status for
all three languages, too, is a lip-service. As long
as these shortcomings linger, this poor nation will
not reach its destination.
I am afraid the time will not permit
me to deliver a long talk. Before I return to my
seat, I would like to make a humble appeal to all
the parties concerned to be transparent, honest
and tolerant while they are talking and all the
parties that constitute the present Government to
speak with one voice rather than revealing their
own feelings and views about the peace talk until
a final settlement is reached.
I cross my fingers that the peace
talk will resume very soon and our blessed motherland
will enjoy durable peace.
May Allah, Almighty bless this
beautiful Island with eternal peace, happiness and
prosperity.
Thank you.
