“You have to give the Tamils the confidence that their grievances will be looked into”-Ferial Ashraff
Minister Ferial Ashroff, leader of the National Unity Alliance, speaks to C.A.Chandraprema on the current state of Muslim politics in Sri Lanka, the three cornered conflicts between the Sinhalese and the Muslims , the Muslims and the Tamils and the Tamils and the Sinhalese in the east, and the present policy of the Rajapakse government on the ethnic conflict.
Q. A broad question for a start. What do you think of the present state of Muslim politics in Sri Lanka ?
A. The reason for this question I feel, is because we had this charismatic Muslim leader who was able to bring all these various forces under one umbrella and be the voice of Muslims in parliament. Now people tend to ask, what of Muslim politics in Sri Lanka because we are all divided and there are so many parties, so many factions. But I feel that this fragmentation is the general trend in Sri Lanka and if you were to take an issue relating to the Muslims, I don’t think there is much of a difference in what each person says. The divisions are basically due to personality clashes. We have not been able to gather around one leader or one particular party.
[Minister Ferial Ashroff, leader of the National Unity Alliance]
Q. If you take the period before your late husband formed the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, there was the situation where some Muslim leaders were affiliated with the UNP, some with the SLFP and there was no separate Muslim party as such. Haven’t things come back to square one because NUA which you lead is affiliated with the PA and the SLMC which is led by Mr Rauff Hakeem, seems to be more with the UNP even though they now serve in a PA government?
A. Before Ashroff, there was the situation where Muslims supported various other political parties and the grievance was that when an issue was raised, the voice that was listened to was that of the party and not of the Muslims. But now, even if they are affiliated to the other political parties as you say, when an issue is raised, because we have this history of Ashroff raising the Muslim voice, I don’t think the Muslims who support the various political parties, will make the same mistake they made prior to Ashroff. If it is an issue relating to Muslims, I think they would be able to come out and talk about it independently.
Q. If we go back in history, the immediate reason for the formation of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress in 1987 by your late husband was because of this feeling that the Muslims had been let down by J.R.Jayawardene in signing the Indo – Lanka peace accord and turning the Muslims into a minority within the merged northern and eastern provinces. The accusation is that he later forgot the reasons for the formation of the SLMC and became an ethnic lobbyist in Colombo .
A. The reason why a Muslim political party had to be formed, was not necessarily, the merger of the north and east. If you take the Puttalam incident where the Muslims in power kept quiet while the Tamil politicians had to speak about it, and then there was this massacre in Galle , where the Muslims in power kept quiet and the Tamil politicians had to speak about it. So all these matters were in the background, and things ended up in the Muslims not being consulted with regard to the Indo-Lanka pact. When Ashroff started lobbying in various other places, he wanted the people to understand what was happening to the Muslims in the north and east. Even though we live in a small island, the Muslims in the Western and other provinces, don’t know what is happening to the Muslims in the north and east. It was only after the tsunami that the Muslims here felt that something bad has happened to the Muslims in the east. So Ashroff had to put up a big fight to get people to understand the necessity for a separate Muslim voice – which was very difficult – people wanted him to remain a regional voice. Since then of course, things have happened. And even when I represent the people through NUA, I can’t go by what Ashroff said, alone. The new situation has to be taken into account. I think the same thing happened to Ashroff.
Q. In the east, with which ethnic community do you have the most serious differences?
A. The Tamil community spoke of the discrimination by the majority community and this was what was being talked about until the Tamils became a majority and we had to talk about how the Tamils treated the Muslims. Our only request was that we be treated fairly by our neighbours. We also want the government to understand that we are Sri Lankan and have been living there for a long time and that we want justice and fair play. So we have to ask both communities to respect our views.
Q. There was that incident some months ago where Sinhalese stormed one of your meetings in the east saying that land was being distributed to tsunami victims deep in the interior of the country and that some of the beneficiaries were not tsunami victims at all, and that Sinhalese also should be given houses in the same area…
A. What you say about this incident is not totally correct. We had got land from the government and we were trying to build houses for the tsunami victims. This was in the Akkaraipattu divisional secreatary’s area. The tsunami victims were from the Akkaraiatu division. The policy of the government at that time, was that people of a particular divisional secretariat area will be settled in that particular area. If you take the coastal area of the Digamadulla district, you will find that there were hardly a Sinhalese living along the coast. They lived in the interior in places like Amparai, Uhana, Damana, Dehiattakandiya, Padiyatalawa, and so on. Only the Muslims and the Tamils live along the coast. So we got this property and wanted to build houses for the tsunami victims. But there are people amongst us who want to find fault with whatever is happening. I would definitely have looked into it if there was a valid reason for them to find fault with what we were doing. The property was 120 acres of sate land which came under the Hingurana sugar factory. Out of this, I asked for 60 acres to house 500 Muslim families who had been victims of he tsunami. So this 60 out of the 120 acres, was what caused all these problems. This was bare land, far away from Muslim settlements, it was 14 kilometers away from the Dighavapi chaitya, it was nowhere near the Sinhala village which was on the other side of the land and the Dighavapi village is in the neighbouring divisional secretariat area. So there has been a huge misrepresentation of facts. This seems to be a saleable commodity in Sri Lanka, to start off an ethnic conflict and to say that she is a Muslim, and she is doing something for the Muslims, totally forgetting the fact that I have been working with the Sinhalese of the Amparai district, and other areas where we are building houses and so on. But this had nothing to do with the Ministry of Housing, this was a tsunami project. I don’t handle tsunami projects. I was involved only because I happen to be the MP of the area.
Q. The reason why I asked you as to which community you feel you are under siege most is particularly that…
A. You have to go on a case by case basis. We have had similar issues with the Tamils as well. In another place, when we were trying to build some tsunami houses, the Tamils created a similar problem saying I was trying to take over Tamil property and settle Muslims there. That took quite a long time to settle. But unlike this spat in Akkaraipattu, that issue did not get much publicity because it was between the Tamils and the Muslims.
Q. You spoke of ethnic contradictions being a marketable commodity. What if someone says, that you too are exploiting that?
A. It would be absurd for me to say, “No, I’m different”. People will be able to decide in the future. If you take for example, that issue about Dighavapi temple land which was raised during Ashroff’s time, most of the people who spoke about it were people who had not even seen the area. If you look at the condolence vote in parliament for Ashroff, you would find that a very senior minister from that area, who was very quiet when all this was going on against Ashroff, stood up in parliament and said ‘I bear witness to the fact that Ashroff did not do anything detrimental to the Dighavapi temple or its lands. It is sad that this was said only Ashroff had died and the vote of condolence was taken.
Q. What future do you see for this country with people dividing and re-dividing again on ethnic lines?
A. I feel that anything has to reach a climax and them come down. I suppose we have not yet reached a climax in this process. As for dividing, I think we have only ourselves to blame, because all these people were represented by the major parties at one time. Even now, we support politicians of the majority community and worked very hard to give them the fullest cooperation. There is another strand of thought which says that it is the majority community which is being discriminated against. Unless people come out of this mindset, and are willing to look at the reality, and treat people equally as Sri Lankans, things are not going to improve. In that I think that the leaders have a great role to play by giving the confidence that he minorities are looking for.
Q. If you take the two main political parties, the UNP says all the ‘correct’ things with regard to ethnic politics. They talk about peace, about negotiations, about ceasefires and putting and end to war and all that kind of thing. So most of the other minority political parties, the CWC, the SLMC, and the UPF, and even the TNA seems to find the UNP rhetoric more attractive than that of the PA. You seem to be the only minority leader, who has consistently stuck with the PA despite the fact that they have been saying all the wrong things, talking about war, de-merging the north and east and everything that is incorrect in ethnic politics.
A. I don’t think they are saying all the incorrect things with regard to ethnic politics. I came into politics during president Kumaratunga’s time, and I still feel that Madame Kumaratunga made a sincere effort to find a solution to the problem. She was somebody who could treat the different communities equally. She had a feeling for the minorities. If you say that the UNP was always very liberal on the ethnic issue, it was not so. If you take president D.B.Wijetunga, he said there was no ethnic issue and that it was only a terrorist issue. But if you take the PA, I felt there were members of the PA who were prepared to look at this ethnic issue and try to bring about a solution. We still have the left parties who have been very openly supporting the minorities. I had this confidence that all these people put together will be able to sort out this problem. On that basis, I stood with the PA.
Q. How would you view president Rajapakse’s policy with regard to the LTTE?
A. We should be able to draw a distinction between the LTTE and the Tamil people. And if we have failed to draw the LTTE to some kind of an understanding, and the LTTE is going to continue to say no, then we have to look at them as a terror group and start dealing with them in a different way. The president feels that the LTTE has to be dealt with like that. But I feel that at the same time, Tamil sentiment has to be looked into and you have to give the Tamils the confidence that their grievances will be addressed and that has not been happening enough. A lot of work has to be done on that aspect. [Courtesy:The Island]
Ratna said,
September 27, 2007 @ 9:25 am
Last sentence says it all, ” A lot of work has to be done”.
All most all in Lanka says this, but who is going to do this?
ilaya seran senguttuvan said,
September 27, 2007 @ 11:00 am
While it is true Muslims of the East identified with the UNP or the SLFP since 1952, they articulated their needs entirely via the UNP between 1948-1952. After 1956 in addition to these two major Sinhala parties many Muslim EP leaders were part of the Federal Party heirarchy. At that time Muslims in the East correctly saw themselves as Tamil-speaking and did not allow religion to be their identity symbol. With Political Islam spreading in many parts of the world after the 1990s Ashroff saw an opportunity for himself to be a leader. Though preaching he was a student of Thanthai Anna (SJV) Ashroff was planning his political move. The unusually high incidence of births in the Muslim community in the past few decades helped him in his quest for political power, many of whom became voters by the mid-90s.
On such a development UNP Minister Mansoor (from the EP) was to comment then “Muslims of the Eastern Province will pay dearly for Ashroff’s political adventurism”. Mansoor felt Muslims, being minorities, should align with one of the two major political parties to secure benefits, rights and remain a peaceful community. Ashroff later became a powerful and wealthy Minister but the Muslims in the area suffered immensely and continue to suffer.
Both Ferial and Rauf Hakeem are from the Central Province and are only superficially accepted by EP Muslims. Muslims of the EP want Ministers and MPs from their area and not outsiders.
Although the higher positions both in the SLMC and NUA are seized by non-EP politicians, the rank and file in the EP want their men to take over in due time. In the rest of Sri Lanka Muslims feel itt is in their interest to align with major political parties in the South. As things stand today, due to the political adventures of politicians in the EP Muslims sufffer a tense and uneasy relationship with the Tamils in the North-East and with the Sinhalese in the South. The late MCM Kaleel, Sir Razik Fareed, Badiu-din Mahmud and other outstanding leaders served the Muslims people all over the country well and ensuered they livedl peacefully and conducted their livelihoods as such by separating politics and religion. Ashroff changed the equation to the detriment of a large number of Muslims in the East. Why did Ferial in her interview with Chandraprema say “after the Tsunami Muslims here felt something happened to them in the East. So Ashraff put up a big fight for a separate Muslims voice”. Well, for all I know by the time the Tsunami hit Sri Lanka Ashroff was already dead. Has the good lady crossed her wires?
A.Rajasingam said,
September 28, 2007 @ 1:39 am
The birth of Muslim politics in Sri Lanka began after the emergence of Muslim Terrorist Movements in the Middle-East and after the LTTE drove the Muslims out of Northern Province. Prior to its birth in Sri Lanka leading Muslim leaders were either in the UNP or the SLFP where they were used by the Sinhalese political leaders as against the voice of the Tamils. The introduction of standardization by Dr.Badurdeen Mahmud by the SLFP regime and the appointment of a Muslims as several Ministers in the UNP are cases in point. During their tenure of offices, the growth of Muslim Organizations in the Middle East began to spread all over the world. However some of the incidents raises concern over their activities in Sri Lanka.
Against such a background, the activities of underworld Muslims revolved round the trafficking of drugs and human beings in Sri Lanka which postulates the fact that Sri Lanka has and still been used as a base for terrorists organizations. The recent siege of Maligawatte by the Police is an incident in point. It is here Premadasa allowed room for the Muslim underworld criminals to carry on with their illegal business. When the Tsunami took about 42,000 lives, almost half of them were Muslims, when they account only about 20 % of the total population and also when one-third of the coast (from Wattala to Mannar where considerable percentage of Muslims live) was not affected by Tsunami. Can any one deny that Muslims had purchased most of the coastal areas down south-west for double the price which tempted the poor Sinhalese to sell and moved interior. How and where such amount of monies received has raised concern especially on the role played by Saddam Hussein and Gadaffi. In addition, there is a school by the name Al-Queda School in the Eastern Province at a time Al-Queda was banned by the West from whom Sri Lanka begs for aid. These factors raises some concern. The issue of Muslim aspirations was only a cover to carry on with this illegal activities. Further there is also concern for the sabotage of hundreds of dead bodies of house maids being sent to Sri Lanka from Middle-east countries. Mention should be made that these house maids are sent on false Muslim names and when their dead bodies come to Sri Lanka, the compensation paid to those house maids ultimately went into the hands of the Muslim agents in view of the fake names. Further, the case of Pottu Nauffer is a known case for the murder of High Court Judge Mr.Sarath Ambepitiya who refused bail for him in connection with a case of drug trafficking. What about Pottu Nauffer’s illegal earnings in billions of Rupees with the indirect blessings of some Muslim Ministers. There is also concern whether Muslim terrorists are sent to other countries in fake names through Sri Lanka as some Muslims have infiltrated in Government Departments to facilitate such terrorists to pursue with their illegal mission. Truth will have to come to light one day. The Sinhalese political leaders are only concerned about their comforts.
It is against these background the answers of Ferial Ashroff should be examined. No doubt Mr.Ashroff was closer to Chandrika and Ferial too was loyal to Chandrika. Even during her tenure she had been finding fault with the use of words when finding out a solution. What was the need to consult Muslims when signing the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord when there was concern over the activities in Tamil Nadu by Al-Aqsa Movement. As for Muslim politics there are Ashroff faction, Rauff Hakim Faction and Fowzie faction. But the above mentioned activities demonstrates why they have to join either the UNP or the PA and a separate voice for the Muslim community seems only to oppose the West on the pretext of having disputes with the Tamils. Can any of these Muslim Ministers condemn the activities of the Muslim Terrorist Organizations whereas they were silent on the issue of federalism. The tactics of the Muslim leaders is always to give a general answer pertaining to the conflicts within the three communities. The division within the Muslim leaders is only artificial but it comes to real when it revolves opposing the West. As far as the Tamil issue is concerned Ferial Ashroff should have boldly declared that the government is unnecessarily dragging and bargaining for time to prolong it. It has to be some matter beyond the confidence of addressing to their grievances which is federalism in its true perspective, preferably on the Canadian model.
Seyon said,
September 28, 2007 @ 2:54 am
Mrs. Ashroff and some Mulsim leaders fooooooooooooooooooooooooooooling themselves by supporting Srilankan sinhala NAZI genocide of Tamils only now because Sinhala racists first started their ETHNIC CLEANSING against Muslims- see below.- then decided to target the Tamils cos they have the TAMIL NATION hood and features to become separate nation as they lived for more than 3000 years before the British joined both nations without consent of people.
1915 Major Sinhala-Muslim riot took place. In June, Sinhala Budhist-Muslim riots in Ceylon. Riots spread from the central province to the western and northwestern provinces.
There were heavy casualities amongst the Muslims. According to available records, 146 Muslims were killed and 405 Muslims were injured and 62 Muslims women have been raped by major Sinhalese. Nearly 85 mosques were damaged and more than 4,075 Muslin-owned shops were looted by the Sinhala rioters.
Sinhala racists cleaverly divided the Tamil and Muslim community due to the selfish nbavive foolish leaders like Mrs.Ashroff.
Sinhala racists already resumed their attacks against Muslims in the East while allowing the Mulsims to colonise Tamil areas Ethnically Cleansed by recent Srilankan military attacks in the east to divide and kill Tamils and Muslims.
But we Tamils are clear about sinhala Nazism and will seaprate our Tamileelam from NAZI Sinhala barbarians who will then resume mass killing of Muslims who will come an knock the doors of Tamileelam saying that they speak Tamil and are Tamils but WILL BE TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LATE FOR COMPASSION.
LETS HOPE THAT COMMON SENSE WILL PREVAIL AMONG MULSIMS.
A.Rajasingam said,
September 28, 2007 @ 10:27 am
In order to substantiate my assertion I must also point out that Muslim leaders were in the habit of demanding certain portfolios, such as Harbour, Housing, Transport, etc., with which they were able to facilitate the illegal missions. Has any Tamil been given important portfolios other than Luxman Kadirgamar. What about the conflicts between Luxman Kadirgamar and Rauff Hakim. So one can imagine in what context of the situation these leaders give answers. Her assertions are now too late which should have made earlier.
dias said,
September 28, 2007 @ 8:48 pm
I’ll second Ratna’s (#1) comment, “Last sentence says it all”. As to who should be doing this? — this is a very important question and requires some assessment.
First, it would be helpful to recognize that the nation’s problem is not something that began a few years ago — rather one that has evolved over 59 years. There are very many aspects to it and they are all inter-related and inter-dependent. In a word Sri Lanka’s challenge is “complex”. But the good news is it is certainly not the first time that mankind has had to deal with a complex problem.
As in any other field complex challenges can only be solved by experts. In this respect, the Sri Lanka challenge is no different. It needs to be handled by experts — mostly knowledgable strategists of several disciplines — and not necessairily by constitutional lawyers. It requires a mix of expertise ranging from constitutional systems experts to project managers. And mostly creative people.
Unfortunately the Expert Team that was put together by Pres Rajapaksa in 2006 Summer was not optimally staffed and thus in my view, the reason for 4 separate solution submissions. [A string project manager would have most possibly evloved a consensus proposition (s).]
It is highly unlikely that the APRC which is primarly composed of self-serving politicians would be able to accomplish what more rationally oriented experts did not.
The bottom line: The present proposals on the table need to be re-assessed and re-merged by experts prior to building political concensus.
Then only upon political consensus it will be possible to submit these to the LTTE for negotiation.
Regretablly, we are far from being at a negotiation stage (though the co-chairs have begun to pressure the prtagonists back to negotiations.)
Suresh M said,
September 29, 2007 @ 12:00 am
Ref # 3 of Dr.A.Rajasingam, Federal idea is dead for some times now. So called Tamil moderates helped Rajapakse regime successfully killing federal-idea for good.
India, U.S.A have endorsed it, and lately, UNP also retreated from their 2002 Oslo declaration of finding a solution in a federal set-up. Anandasangaree has been pleading with Sinhala polity to consider federal idea, it is too late. It is not worth continuing this web site (federalidea) any more. Tamil moderates have not learn from the past. Pity!
Devinda Fernando said,
October 1, 2007 @ 11:45 pm
*** Ref # 3 of Dr.A.Rajasingam, Federal idea is dead for some times now. ***
What do you care about Federalism Suresh? For you and your LTTE Proxy Mouth pieces its Eelam or Nothing?