SLMC to issue ultimatum

The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) high command, which met last night and early this morning, has said that the future of the SLMC in the Government is at risk as the Government has failed to take appropriate action with regards to the threats faced by Muslims in recent times.

SLMC Leader and Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem was among those who attended the party high command meeting, but at least five senior members were notably absent, sources told the Colombo Gazette.

The SLMC high command was of the opinion that the Government had not directly responded to the threats faced by the Muslims in the country.

The party was also disappointed with the Government response to the call for an urgent Cabinet meeting to discuss the issue.

As a result the SLMC feels its future in the Government is at risk and a decision will have to be taken very soon.

Last week Hakeem had requested President Mahinda Rajapaksa to convene a Cabinet meeting to discuss the rising religious unrest and civil disturbance in the country.

Minister Hakeem has also contacted all the Muslim Parliamentarians including Senior Minister M.H.M. Fowzie (who is currently out of the country) and Ministers Rishard Bathiudeen and A.L.M. Athaullah for the meeting, with this regard.

An SLMC statement last week had said that the Minister has expressed his patent displeasure and condemnation on the attack on the Fashion Bug warehouse at Pepiliyana. He believed that this was seemingly carried out as a sequel to the ongoing attacks on the religious places and hate campaigns against Muslims and other religious minority communities in the country.

He was also dismayed at the ineffective response of the law and order machinery in containing the spread of such violence and unrest that fuels insecurity and peace of all minority communities in Sri Lanka.

(Colombo Gazette)