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Saudi delegation visit Sri Lanka

by Mohammed Rasooldeen in Riyadh

The Chairman of the Shoura Council, Sheikh Saleh Bin Humeid who is also the Chief Katheeb and Imam of the Holy Haram in Makkah will conduct the Friday prayers at a Jumma Mosque in Colombo on June 7, the Sri Lankan embassy announced here on Saturday.

Sheikh Humeid who will head a 24 member high-level delegation from the Shousa Council to Sri Lanka from June 4, has agreed to deliver the Jumma sermon at the Kollupitiya Jumma Mosque in Colombo 3. The Kollupitiya Jumma Mosque which is centrally located in the Lankan capital, draws a large congregation on Fridays during Jumma prayers. Sheikh Humeid's sermon is expected to attract a large crowd of worshippers from all parts of the island.

Sri Lanka has a population of some 18 million of which eight per cent are Muslims. Every government that comes to power in the island gives a fair deal to the minority Muslims in the country. Even at present Sri Lanka has several Muslims as ministers and deputy ministers in the government headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Sri Lanka has a separate department for Muslim schools which will be closed for the month of Holy Ramadan. The Muslim government servants are given official leave to attend Jumma prayers and they are also given concessionary working hours during the holy month.

Lankan ambassador Ibrahim Sahib Ansar described the delegation as historical since this is the first time in the history of Sri Lanka that such a large official delegation from Saudi Arabia has planned to visit the island. Ansar said that the visit bears testimony to the fast growing relations between the Kingdom and Sri Lanka.

Ambassador Mahmud Al Ali who is based in Colombo said that the visit will be an important landmark in Sri Lanka-Saudi relations. The Muslims are also happy that they would get an opportunity of listening to the Chief Katheeb and Imam of the Holy Haram in Colombo he said.

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