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Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader and Minister of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage Rauff Hakeemdelivering the presidential address
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader and Minister of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage Rauff Hakeem was Chief Guest at the international seminar on ‘Historical, Economic, Military and Cultural Links Between Pakistan and Sri Lanka’ at the Galadari Hotel, Colombo.
Hakeem delivered the presidential address at the conference. He spoke of the friendly assurance and support that was always at hand from the Government of Pakistan and of the outgoing High Commissioner Maj. Gen. Qureshi, during the challenging times that Sri Lankans were facing in the last two years, acknowledging the latter’s invaluable contribution to strengthening diplomatic ties between the two countries.
“Cricket was most symptomatic of our close relations with Pakistan, where Sri Lanka won its first World Cup and also where the cricketers were subject to an unfortunate terrorist attack. Sri Lankans have maintained their bilateral visits and relationships with Pakistan at such times even risking our lives.”
Talking about Buddhist-Islam links,Minister Hakeem said as a Sri Lankan-born Muslim, the same way he finds his Islamism easily and comfortably encased in his Sri Lankan patriotism, he acknowledges his Buddhist compatriots finding their Buddhism intrinsic to their Sri Lankan-ness.
“Buddhism is indigenous to Sri Lanka and to the Indian sub-continent where as Islam is a later imposition resulting from both conquest and trade,” he said.
Hakeem also spoke of the later development where the influence of the so-called Islamic fundamentalism that reached the Muslim community who live dispersed all over the island. He said the de-mystification of Islamic fundamentalism is a challenge that the Muslims need to address, where they live as minorities.
He also said at the same time, the term “Islamic fundamentalism” with its theological overtones is a misnomer and a contradiction. “How can the pristine faith have two belief systems, one fundamental and another additional, extra?” he asked while reiterating that “Islamic fundamentalism is not a religious phenomenon, but are political and bereft of all that is spiritual.”
The outgoing High Commissioner of Pakistan, Maj. Gen. Qureshi spoke about the exemplary friendship and associational choice of Sri Lanka-Pakistan relations. He said regardless of major significant politico-economic ties, the close relations between thetwo countries is so pronouncedly significant where people-to-people contact was concerned.
He referred to the Sri Lanka-Pakistan military ties that are remarkably strong to-date. He made special note of the ties between the two countries during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war. He was also personally very impressed about how the cultural ties between the two countries where the Father of the Nation of Pakistan, Mohamed Ali Jinnah and their national poet Allama Iqbal are hailed and remembered at various cultural events in schools and other organisations in Sri Lanka. Minister Hakeem cut short his visit from Indonesia where he attend a global high-level Buddhist-Muslim Summit in Yogyakarta and Borobudur to attend this event held at the behest of the High Commission of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Some of the other dignitaries attending the seminar were Maj General Qasim Qureshi, High Commissioner of Pakistan in Sri Lanka, Ven Prof GallelleSumanasiriThero, Vice Chancellor, Buddhist and Pali University, Ven. Prof VimalaranteThero, Head, Dept. of Economic, University of Colombo, Dr.SamanKelegama, Executive Director, Institute of Policy Studies, Colombo and Dr. Abdul Basit, Patron, Society of Civilizations, Pakistan.
The event was organised by the High Commission of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Society of Civilizations Pakistan.
