PEACE LANKA: Is the ant more stronger than the elephant?

Monday, May 19, 2008

Is the ant more stronger than the elephant?

Can a political similarity happen in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the East PC elections.

Can the Muslim representatives in the UFPA alliance who helped pull the carriage of victory of the government in the newly elected Eastern PC lay down the rules for the appointment of the CM.

The reporting in the Morning Leader today that the Muslims members from the UPFA will not support Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan in the Eastern Provincial Council administration if appointed as chief minister by the government, will turn out as a political disaster to HE. Mahinda Rajapaksa if the facts of the claims are true. It goes on record that the President made a public announcement in the run-up to the PC elections via satellite communication to the Muslim voters of the East that the CM post will be given to the community that voted the highest numbers of members to the council. Whether it will be acceptable or contradicted remains in the decision to be made by HE. Mahinda Rajapaksa on his return from the UK after making a challenging speech where the President told the Oxford Union that if Sri Lanka fails against LTTE, the world fails fight against Terrorism.

The reality of this courageous statement remains in the sincerity of resolving the new issue of naming the appropriate CM for the Eastern Provincial Council soon.

What then is the reality that the President and his advisers have to face?

With the indulgence of the would be geopolitical powers of the Indian Ocean ring, the LTTE was made to split into what it became the LTTE of Prabaharan of the North and the LTTE of Karuna Amman of the East. The struggle to split the LTTE was not a power struggle within the movement itself, rather a struggle of identity viz-a-viz the Northerners and the Easterners within the movement, induced by an outside geo-political force, a similarity to what happened to Pakistan under the regime of the late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto which drew lines between Punjabis and Bengalese (the Mukti Bahini scenario). The ultimate was the divide of Pakistan into Pakistan and Bangaladesh. Though very small in comparison, what makes it different is that unlike Pakistan ( Karachi ) and Bangaladesh ( Dhaka ) which are nearly a 1000 miles apart, the North and the East are divided on either side by borders within a sovereign state. The East is also a much more multi ethnic demography with Muslim villages sand witched between Tamil villages of easterners than the North where only around 120,000 Muslims live, but have already been driven out by the LTTE. A few still remain in the Mannar district, but very negligible in terms of population statistics.

It was in this backdrop that the late Hon. M.H.M.Ashroff was able to focus the issues of the Muslim Community in the East as the primary political instrument, (though the SLMC later on embraced the Muslim issues nationally), which fetched the support of the Eastern Muslims in making the SLMC what it is today. This political dimension of the Muslims came to reality in the Provincial Elections in 1988 and later on it took a strong appearance in the local and parliamentary elections that followed – the Muslim political “Representative and Brokerage Strength” that the SLFP,UNP and the FP then, later the TULF and now the TNA cannot deny to accept. The SLMC and it's voters/supporters (poraaligal – soldiers of democracy) became the voice of the Muslims of the East as the SLMC evolved into a National political entity with the late Hon. Ashroff , the charismatic leader he was, at the helm. There was no question about his leadership and he was the SLMC to all the aspirants of the Muslim Factor and voters in the East. The ministers of the East who have now signed the demand for Mr. Hisbullah to be made the CM were just “podiyans” in the SLMC during the tenure of the late Hon. M.H..M.Ashroff. But he was proactive and gave opportunities to the young and vibrant youth who merged forward to take up the challenge of the SLMC under his commandments. The late Hon. Ashroff harnessed the vigour of these aspirants by making sure that they did not take to violence or any form of arms struggle, though the East was entrenched in a culture of violence and arms environment as a result of the ideology of the LTTE being embraced by the Tamil youth. The credit of keeping the Muslim youth of the North, North Eastern and East away from taking to arms should go to the credit of the later Hon. Ashroff and few of his close associates who can be seen as the present hierarchy of the SLMC.

The challenge of Pillayan and the Muslim reality of the PC elections.

The PC elections has clearly demonstrated the vision of the late Hon. M./H.M.Asnroff as being alive, even after his demise in 2000. The tragedy of September 16 involving an MI-17 helicopter of the Sri Lanka Air Force above the Urakanda mountain range in the Aranayaka area in Kegalle district of Sabaragamuwa province resulted in the death of a dynamic political leader of the island. Along with him were killed 14 others including crew members, security personnel, personal staff and political supporters. That created a very big democratic political vacuum, specially in the East. If HE. Mahinda Rajapaksa and his team are of opinion that Pillayan of the TMVP and a former LTTE’er can take the mantle of becoming a “DEMOCRAT” or democratic leader of the EAST, to fill the vacuum created by the demise of the late Hon. M.H.M.Ashroff, then it becomes the “REVERSAL” of DEMOCRACY in the EAST. If the process of the Pillayan group embracing DEMOCRACY was true, then the PC elections was the best opportunity to demonstrate the TRUTH – denouncing violence and laying down the arms. The foul cry made by TMVP supported by some of the Ministers of the UPFA that the Pillayan group have come into the fold of DEMOCRACY is a “little red riding hood” and the fox story.

Thus the credence of HE. Mahinda Rajapaksa as a ”true democrat” and a champion of HR has been tarnished by the deficiency of the TMVP and alliance of the UPFA not willing to lay down arms in the run-up to the PC elections. Whatever the arguments may be in terms of self defense, it still has overshadowed his credence. The Sri Lankan security forces were still capable of providing the security.

On the contrary, one of the sympathizers of the SLMC now, Mr.Segu Dawood Basheer had been one time the EROS leader for Eravur. He tucked his pistol under his shirt and sarong when he started his politics with EROS. Hon. Segu Dawood's former leader of EROS at that time was one Mr.V. Balakumar who was a confidante of LTTE leader, Mr.V.Priphaharan. There was a time when Mr.Segu Dawood vowed to defeat the SLMC by all means as (in his opinion) it was a dire threat to the struggle of the "Tamil speaking people". But the same Segu Dawood is a total “DEMOCRAT” today and has even risen in the hierarchy of the SLMC in recent times to become it’s Chairman. He is also now a confidant of Hon Rauf Hakeem the leader of the SLMC., and led the UNP/SLMC Alliance in Batticola. Mr. Segu Dawood Basheer does not carry arms.

In the force of “DEMOCRACY” Hon. Segu Dawood Basheer led the UNP/SLMC alliance and got 4 seats while the UPFA captured 6 seats.

It is the contrast of these two situations that shows the reality of the Muslims in the EAST in their democratic struggle which is “What the reality that the President and his advisers have to face”?

The President should not be used as the reason to fan violence in the EAST at any cost by a few armed Tamil militants pretending to be democratic. At the same time, the President has to face the reality that, it is the Muslims of the EAST that has given him the bulk votes and enough members to claim the majority, be privy to the 2 bonus seats and be the winning alliance in the PC elections.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa should stand by his word and help make the EAST free of any more violence of armed struggle. It is not like whether the ant is more stronger than the elephant? But the President should not allow the Muslim support (Muslim Ministers) slip from the government’s support base as it is. The President should not either allow the Muslim support in the EAST to slip too, as a result. The appointment of a Muslim CM in the East will help resolve a major part of the “Muslim Factor” issue in the political arena of the country. Otherwise, like the ant that dragged itself into the trunk of the elephant causing the elephant to kill itself by dashing the trunk to the tree, a similarity of events can happen in Sri Lankan politics, in the present scenario in the EAST. Both the government and the SLMC missed very much by not going into an alliance with the SLMC. The Muslim voters represented by the Muslim ministers are indeed SLMC votes polled because of the Presidents promise of a Muslim CM. Therefore the Muslims deserve the CM post.

The President has no time to play around in the EAST anymore. He has to take care of the North now. Taking care of the North is not just development and appointing task forces and fighting a battle – it is talking to the Tamil community, talking to the Northerners, talking to Prabaharan directly. If Ms.Priyanka Vadra, daughter of Ms.Sonia Gandhi met Ms.Nalini Sriharan, who was involved in the assassination of her father Mr.Rajiv Gandhi in Vellore on 19th March 2008 wherein Ms.Nalilini is lodged, similarly there are many possibilities for the Government to talk to the LTTE. The Government does NOT need facilitators or mediators or any truce to do that talking. A fair resolution to the issue of the appointment of the CM in the EAST will help very much to do so.

Noor Nizam.

Sri Lanka Peace Activist.

Canada.

No comments:

The Muslims of Sri Lanka

A brief history of the Muslims of Sri Lanka Introduction courtesy http://www.islamawareness.net/Asia/SriLanka/sri_lanka.html

Sri Lanka, known to the ancients as Ceylon, has been recorded in history books as a country that has had many visitations from foreign travellers throughout the ages. The people are mainly Buddhist, with a complex mixture of Hindus, Muslims, Roman Catholics and other Christian denominations. The main race are the Sinhalese while the Tamils, Muslims and Burghers (Anglo-Sri Lankans) form the remaining. The Muslims of Sri Lanka are a very small minority amounting to approximately 10% of a total population of 16 Million people. They claim descendancy from the Arab traders, who made Sri Lanka their home even before the advent of Islam. The Tamils comprise around 25% of the population.

Sri Lankan Muslims can be categorized into two distinct sub groups, the Moors and the Malays. The former is the name given to them by the Portuguese colonial rulers who used the word Moros to identify Arabs in general. The Malays are a group of Muslims who originated from Java and the Malaysian Peninsula. They differed from the Moors, both, in their physical appearance as well as in the language they spoke which was a mixture of Malay and local dialects.

The Muslims of Sri Lanka have a colorful history behind them punctuated by a long spell of hardship suffered during the Portuguese and Dutch ocupation of the Island. It is much to their credit that they withstood the onslaught of economic constraints, political intrigues and religious persecution to stay behind and survive. Most other peoples may have packed their bags and left for good. They not only saved their religion from the Christian enemies but also rebuilt the economy, slowly and steadily, by the 18th century when the British took over control of the island from the Dutch.

Being geographically isolated from the main centers of Islamic culture and civilization the Muslims of Sri Lanka were forced to interact closely with their neighbours, the Muslims of South India, in order to preserve their identity. Had they been denied this slender link, it is possible that, they may have lost their distinct Islamic character completely. However, it must be observed that this link has also caused many Indian (Hindu) traditions and rituals to creep into their culture and life style, some of which, even though vehemently anti-Islamic, are still practised to date. Lack of a correct understanding of the teachings of Islam has been the main cause of this sad situation. Having adapted to the local conditions in various ways and also contributing largely to the Islands economic prosperity, the Muslim community of Sri Lanka, unlike the Hindu Tamils of the Northern Province, has saved itself from any major clash with the indigenous Sinhalese population. They have also been able to receive a fair share in the countrs Politics and Administration by virtue of their hard work and also of being an important minority whose support has been vital to all the political groups in the country. Although it may be said that the Muslim community was not politically dominant at any stage, yet, it is certainly true that they manouvered their political activity without much noise, unlike the Tamils. This work attempts to present a brief

history of the Muslims of Sri lanka from their early Arab trader beginnings to the present day minority community that is fully integrated into the Sri Lankan society.

Historical Background Sri Lanka (previously known as Ceylon) lies of the south-east of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The pear shaped island, often referred to as the pearl of the east is separated from mainland India by a narrow strip of water called the Palk Straits. Being in such close proximity to and having such easy access from India, it might be expected that Sri Lanka received a large number of migrants from its neighbour from pre-historic times. The original inhabitants of the island are believd to be an aboriginal tribe called the Veddahs. The Sinhalese, presently the majority community, are supposed to be the descendants of the colonists, led by Vijaya, from the valley of the Ganges who settled in the island around the 6th century B.C. Sinhala, the language of the Sinhalese, is an Aryan language, closely related to Pali. Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka during the reign of King Devanampiya Tissa during the period 307-267 B.C. Trade relations between India and Sri Lanka are traced to the 3rd century B.C. Historians have not been able to pin-point the actual date of establishment of Tamil settlements in Sri Lanka. However, during the 3rd century B.C. a Tamil General, Elara, set up a Tamil Kingdom at Anuradhapura, in the North Central Province, and ruled there for 44 years. He earned a reputation for his just and impartial administration among the Sinhalese and Tamils and was thus called Elara the Just.

The strategic location of the island, in the Indian Ocean, together with some of the coveted goods it produced, resulted in a fair degree of foreign trade even from ancient times. The Romans discovered the commercial value of Sri Lanka in the first century A.D. and the island was visited by Greeks, Romans, Persians, Arabs, and Chinese traders. Sri Lankas trade offering included Cinnamon, which grew wild in the forests of the wet zone, precious stones, pearls, elephants and ivory.

While most of the traders were only visitors to the island, who made their fortunes and left, it was the Arabs who settled down, making Ceylon their home. Furthermore as the Muslims of Sri lanka claim their desecndancy from the Arabs it is imprtant to look at the information available on the advent of the Arabs to the island.

The Arabs: The Tamils of Sri Lanka, throughout history, have attempted to categorize the Sri Lankan Muslims as belonging to the Tamil race. This has been mainly for selfish reasons in a bid to eliminate the minority Muslim community from having its own unique identity. The Government of Sri Lanka, however, treats the Muslims as of Arab origin and as a distinct ethnic group from the Tamils.

Fr. S.G. Perera in his book -History of Ceylon for Schools- Vol. 1. The Portuguese and Dutch Periods, (1505-1796), Colombo (1955), The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., p 16, writes,

-The first mention of Arabs in Ceylon appears to be in the Mahavansa (Ancient Sri Lankan history) account of the reign of the King Pandukabhaya, where it is stated that this king set apart land for the Yonas (Muslims) at Anuradhapura-

With the decline of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century A.D., Roman trade also died out and the Arabs and Persians filled up the vacuum; engaging in a rapidly growing inter-coastal trade. After the conquest of Persia (Iran), Syria and Egypt, the Arabs controlled all the important ports and trading stations between East and West. It is estimated that the Arabs had settled in Sri Lanka and Sumatra by the 1st century A.D. K.M. De Silvas, Historical Survey, Sri Lanka - A Survey, London (1977), C. Hurst & Co. Ltd., p 50, states, -by about the 8th century A.D., the Arabs had formed colonies at the important ports of India, Ceylon and the East Indies. The presence of the Arabs at the ports of Ceylon is attested to by at least three inscriptions discovered at Colombo, Trincomalee and the island of Puliantivu-

The manner in which Islam developed in Sri lanka is very closely similar to that on the Malabar coast of India. Tradition has recorded that Arabs who had settled down on the Malabar coast used to travel from the port of Cranganore to Sri lanka on piligrimage to pay homage to what they believed to be the foot-print of Adam on the top of a montain, which, until today, is called Adams Peak.

Ibn Batuta, the famous 14th. century Arab traveller, has recorded many facets about early Arab influence in Sri lanka in his travelogues.

Before the end of the 7th. century, a colony of Muslim merchants had established themselves in Ceylon. Fascinated by the scenic splendour and captivated by the traditions associated with Adams Peak, Muslim merchants arrived in large numbers and some of them decided to settle in the island encouraged by the cordial treatement they received by the local rulers. Most of them lived along the coastal areas in peace and prosperity, maintaining contacts, both cultural and commercial, with Baghdad and other Islamic cities.

According to Tikiri Abeyasinghe in his Portuguese Rule in Ceylon, 1594-1612, Colombo (1966), Lake House Investments Ltd., p 192, tradition has it that,

-the first Mohammadans of Ceylon were a portion of those Arabs of the House of Hashim, who were driven from Arabia in the early part of the 8th. century by the tyranny of the Caliph, Abdel Malik bin Marwan, and who proceeding from the Euphrates southwards made settlements in the concan in the southern parts of the peninsula of India, on the island of Ceylon and Malacca. The division of them which came to Ceylon formed eight considerable settlements along the Nort-East, North and Western coast of that island; viz., one at Trincomalee, one at Jaffna, one at Colombo, one at barbareen, and one at Point de Galle.-

It is perhaps reasonable, therefore, to assume that the Arabs, professing the religion of Islam, arrived in Sri Lanka around the 7th./8th. century A.D. even though there was a settled community of Arabs in Ceylon in pre-Islamic times.

The circumstances that helped the growth of Muslim settlements were varied. The Sinhalese were not interested in trade and were content in tilling the soil and growing cattle. Trade was thus wide open to the Muslims. the Sinhalese Kings considered the Muslim settlements favorably on account of the revenue that they brought them through their contacts overseas both in trade and in politics. The religious tolerance of the local population was also another vital factor in the development of Muslim settlements in Ceylon. The early Muslim settlements were set up, mainly, around ports on account of the nature of their trade. It is also assumed that many of the Arab traders may not have brought their womenfolk along with them when they settled in Ceylon. Hence they would have been compelled to marry the Sinhalese and Tamil women of the island after converting them to Islam. The fact that a large number of Muslims in Sri Lanka speak the Tamil language can be attributed to the possibility that they were trading partners with the Tamils of South India and had to learn Tamil to successfully transact their business. The integration with the Muslims of Tamil Nadu, in South India, may have also contributed to this. It is also possible that the Arabs who had already migrated to Ceylon, prior to Islam, had adopted the Tamil language as a medium of communication in their intercourse with the Tamil speaking Muslims of South India. The Muslims were very skilful traders who gradually builtup a very lucrative trading post in Ceylon. A whole colony of Muslims is said to have landed at Beruwela (South Western coast) in the Kalutara District in 1024 A.D.

The Muslims did not indulge in propagating Islam amongst the natives of ceylon even though many of the women they married did convert. Islam did attract the less privileged low caste members of the Tamil community who found the factor of equality a blessing for their status and well-being.

There is also a report in the history of Sri Lanka of a Muslim Ruler, Vathimi Raja, who reigned at Kurunegala (North Central Province) in the 14th. century. This factor cannot be found in history books due to their omission, for reasons unknown, by modern authors. Vathimi Raja was the son of King Bhuvaneka Bahu I, by a Muslim spouse, the daughter of one of the chiefs. The Sinhalese son of King Bhuvaneka Bahu I, Parakrama Bahu III, the real heir to the throne was crowned at Dambadeniya under the name of Pandita Parakrama Bahu III. In order to be rid of his step brother, Vathimi Raja, he ordered that his eyes be gouged out. It is held that the author of the Mahavansa (ancient history of Ceylon) had suppressed the recording of this disgraceful incident. the British transaletor, Mudaliyar Wijesinghe states that original Ola (leaf script) was bodily removed from the writings and fiction inserted instead. The blinded Vathimi Raja (Bhuvaneka Bahu II or Al-Konar, abbreviated from Al-Langar-Konar, meaning Chief of Lanka of Alakeshwara) was seen by the Arab traveller Ibn Batuta during his visit to the island in 1344. His son named Parakrama Bahu II (Alakeshwara II) was also a Muslim. The lineage of Alakeshwara kings (of Muslim origin) ended in 1410. Although all the kings during this reign may not have been Muslims, the absence of the prefix -Shri Sangha Bodhi- (pertaining to the disciples of the Buddha) to the name of these kings on the rock inscriptions during this hundred year period may be considered as an indicator that they were not Buddhists. Further during Ibn Batutas visit a Muslim ruler called Jalasthi is reported to have been holding Colombo, maintaining his hold over the town with a garrison of about 500 Abyssinians.

In spite of this the Mulsims have always been maintaining very cordial relationships with the Sinhalese Royalty and the local population. There is evidence that they were more closer to the Sinhalese than they were to the Tamils. The Muslims relationship with the Sinhalese kings grew stronger and in the 14th. century they even fought with them against the expanding Tamil kingdom and its maritime influence.

By the beginning of the 16th. century, the Muslims of Sri Lanka, the descendants of the original Arab traders, had settled down comfortably in the island. They were evry successful in trade and commerce and integrated socially with the customs of the local people. They had become an inseparable, and even more, an indispensable part of the society. This period was one of ascendancy in peace and prosperity for the Sri Lankan Muslims. The Malays:

Sri Lankan Muslims include the Malays although they form a separate group by themselves. Even the earliest census of Sri Lanka (1881) lists the Muslims as Moors and Malays separately. Malays too, follow the Islamic religion just like the Moors. The real beginning of the Malays in Sri Lanka dates back to the 13th. century. Husseinmiya writes,

-The definite arrival of Malays in Sri Lanka took place in the 13th. century. Chandra Bhanu, the Malay King of Nakhon Sri Dhammarat in the Isthmus of Kra on the Malay Peninsula invaded Sri Lanka in A.D. 1247, with Malay soldiers. He was determined to possess the relics of the Buddha from the Sinhalese kingdom. In a second invasion he brought soldiers from India-.

Chandra Bhanus 50 year rule of northern Ceylon in the 13th. century is remembered by such place names as Java Patnam (Jaffna), Java Kachcheri (Chavakachcheri), Hambantota etc. Most authors have, yet, linked the origin of the Malays in Ceylon to the period when the uisland was ruled by the Dutch. Murad Jayah in -The plight of the Ceylon Malays today-, MICH Silver Jubilee Souvenir, 1944-1969, Colombo (1970), p 70, writes,

-In 1709 Susana Mangkurat Mas, king of Java, was exiled to Sri Lanka by the Dutch with his entire retinue. He was followed in 1723 by 44 Javanese princes and noble men who surrendered at the battle of Batavia and exiled to this country with their families. These familes formed the nucleus from which the Malay community grew.-

-The Dutch continued to bring more -Java Minissu- (Malay people) as exiles, and employed them to fill the ranks of the army, the police force, the fire brigade, the prison staff and other services. They formed the bulk of the servicemen during the Dutch occupation and the early British times. The British too imported Malay families for settlement in Ceylon with the idea of raising a regiment. The Kings colors were awarded in 1801 to the Ceylon Malay Regiment, the first Asian to receive that Honor.- The unsuccessful attempts of the British to attract more Malays from overseas, the meagre salaries paid to the malay soldiers coupled with more avenues for lucrative employment in the plantation industry, resulted in the disbandment of the malay Regiment in 1873. The Malays released from the army were absorbed into the police and the fire brigade services.

The mother tongue of Malays is Malay (Bahasa Melayu). Murad Jayah writes, -Bahasa Melayu has been preserved in this country for over 250 years due to the fact that the original exiles from Indonesia were accompanied by their womenfolk and it was not necessary for them to find wives among Sinhalese and Tamil women, unlike the Arab ancestors of the Ceylon Moors.-

PEACE LANKA

Monday, May 19, 2008

Is the ant more stronger than the elephant?

No comments:

Blog Archive

Sri Lanka Islamic Students' Movment