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Political allegiance of Sri Lankan Muslims - Part II:

SLFP Governments’ contribution to Muslim education

Continued from December 31

This was a giant step taken by the truly Sri Lankan Bandaranaike Government to emancipate the Muslim community and liberate them from the bondage to Mudalalis and open a new vista for Muslim children to pursue higher education. It was a well-known that there were many villages and towns at that time without a single Muslim graduate, without a single Muslim Doctor, Lawyer, Accountant or even a middle ranking Government servant.


S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike


Sirimavo Bandaranaike

This massive teaching employment drive initiated by the Bandaranaike Government, produced at least one teacher in each Muslim family and completely changed the educationally backward Muslim Society into an educated Muslim polity. It is the children of this new generation of Muslims innovated by the SLFP Government that occupy seats of employment today in many fields including those in the professional fields and even in Foreign Missions.

It was the SLFP that legitimized the rights of Muslim girls to wear a school dress in conformity to their religions norms even in non-Muslim schools. While the pro UNP Western countries were not permitting Muslim girls to wear Hijab in schools, the SLFP led Government in addition to providing school uniforms to Muslim girls studying in Government schools also took action to provide Hijabs to Muslim girls annually.

Government assistance

The Endowment Board known as Waqf Board was created to administer the affairs of mosques thereby providing the opportunity for the commoners to participate in the affairs of administering the mosques and making them qualified to receive Government assistance. Relaying the Azan call for the five obligatory prayers using loudspeakers from mosques throughout the island was permitted.

A Special Unit known as Muslim Service dedicated for the Muslims was created in the then Radio Ceylon to broadcast religious and cultural programs and enlighten the Muslims with religious knowledge, their cultural values, and educate them about the affairs of fellow Muslims in other countries.

This Unit helped Muslims listen to whole night broadcast of religious programs on special days such as Lailathul Qadr and listen to whole day programs on Eid and other significant days, in addition to daily night and morning programs.

A new set of teachers known as Maulavi teachers, similar to teachers of other religions was appointed to teach religion to Muslim students even in non-Muslim schools. Two hours permission for Muslims to attend Jumma prayers was granted. Days prominent for Muslims were included in the list of Public Holidays.

Muslim countries

In the international arena too, the SLFP Governments espoused the cause of Muslims and Muslim countries. During the Suez Canal War in 1958 Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike solidly stood supporting the steps taken by President Gamal Abdul Nasser of United Arab Republic (currently Egypt), to nationalize the Suez Canal.

Historical records reveal that Prime Minister Bandaranaike speaking at the United Nations not only vehemently condemned the invasion of Egypt by the Western imperialist forces together with Israel but also threatened even to send the Armed Forces of Sri Lanka to fight these imperialists along with the Egyptian and Arab Armies. Not even the Muslim countries outside the Middle East region had the courage to support President Nasser in this manner.

It was the Prime Minister Bandaranaike’s Government that appointed a Muslim as Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. The UNP which fools the Muslims in every election to get their votes and provide them nothing in return is yet to appoint a Muslim to such a prestigious position.

Labour Ministry

Those days the Labour Ministry was an insignificant Ministry in the whole Cabinet. The UNP Governments always kept this Ministry reserved for Muslims as nothing could be done to serve the community through this Ministry.

It was the Bandaranaike Government that nullified this discrimination and appointed C. A. S. Marikkar to the prestigious position of Post and Telecommunications Minister. Also the Bandaranaike Government has the credit of appointing for the first time a Muslim as the Speaker of Parliament. H.S. Ismail was appointed the Speaker although he was not elected to Parliament as an SLFP MP.

The second structural change in the life of Sri Lankan Muslims and enormous service to the community took place during the reign of the late Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike who dearly valued cordial relationships with Middle Eastern and Muslim countries all over the world.

It was in gratitude to her cordial relationship that President Nasser sent several oil shipments to Sri Lanka when Western countries imposed sanctions on oil supplies to Sri Lanka following the bold steps taken by her to nationalise the oil companies in Sri Lanka and establish the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.

In gratitude to this friendly gesture, Mrs. Bandarnaike declared one week’s mourning on the death of President Nasser, and his funeral proceedings were broadcast live through Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation (currently SLBC). Such a respect to President Nasser’s funeral was not accorded even in several Middle East and Muslim countries.

The late Prime Minister Mrs Bandarnaike was the only non-Muslim world leader who severed Diplomatic relationship with Israel for invading Arab countries and occupying their territory. J.R. Jayewardene, the UNP hierarchy and the pro-UNP press severely criticised her for taking this bold step.

When Mrs Bandarnaike made arrangements to host the Fifth Non-Aligned Summit in Sri Lanka, the UNP not only condemned her decision but also opposed it intensely. Pro-UNP media severely criticised the late Prime Minister Mrs Bandarnaike for holding the Summit and boorishly slandered many Muslim leaders who were scheduled to attend.

Middle East countries

The Summit, however, provided the opportunity for the leaders and Heads of State of almost all Muslim countries to visit our Motherland and obtain a first hand knowledge about the country, about the Muslims in this country, and also to interact with them. In spite of UNP’s criticism and vilification the Summit opened a new vista for Muslims and other Sri Lankans to find employment, particularly in the Middle East countries.

Thus began the era of foreign employment for Sri Lankans and it has now become the leading source of foreign exchange earning for Sri Lanka, and a means of alleviating poverty throughout the country.

Many Muslim families in Sri Lanka live without feeling the hardship of poverty because of this step taken by Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike.

People who went for employment in the Middle East countries in the early phase would recall that the general public in the Middle East were not aware of the existence of a country called Sri Lanka and they knew Sri Lanka only as Madam Bandaranaike country.

Despite the enormous service rendered to the community by the Bandaranaike Governments, Sri Lankan Muslims beguiled by the hollow promises, misled by deceitful and aggressive propaganda joined the reactionary forces and helped the Western slavish dictator J.R. Jayewardene to win in the 1977 General Election.

To be continued

 

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