International gathering of Malays on December 3

COLOMBO: An International Gathering of Malays (INGAM) or the "Perhimpunan Melayu Antarabangsa" will be held on December 3 at the Jalang Padang, Colombo 2, making it a spectacular get-together of the Malays living in many parts of the country.

Addressing a media conference at the Galadari Hotel recently President of Conference of Sri Lankan Malays (COSLAM) Al Haj T.K. Azoor said that they hoped to use the event to send across the message that other communities should adopt the Malay's formula for co-existence in the country based on the principles of tolerance, adaptability and congeniality in the quest for peace."

For this purpose we have proposed "Unity for a Purpose" as our theme", he said. Explaining further he said that the main objective of the venture was to give an opportunity to all 22 organisations that make up the Sri Lanka Malay Confederation (SLMAC) and members of his community spread throughout in the country and Dunia Malayu (Malay World) interact with members of their community and to recreate the sense of belonging and oneness to the community they were born as a distinct community from the rest of the others.

He also said that the event would have the participation of Regional Islamic Da'wah Council of South East Asia and the Pacific and form the mainstay of the 'Cultural Pageant'.

Recalling that many including state officials like the Grama Niladharis refer to them as 'Muslim' he pointed out that they were not Muslims."

We are referred as Muslims by many. But this is a wrong way of identifying us. We are not Muslims by race but yes by religion. Muslim is a reference to identify those belonging to that religion. We should be referred to as Malays, as referred to the other ethnic communities like Sinhala and Tamil.

It is perfectly correct to call us Muslims like in the case of Buddhists or Christians by their religion but not as Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims, for we are not Muslims by race", he pointed out.

He also said that the Malay community was in Sri Lanka for well over 300 years from 1640s and they were proud to call Sri Lanka their motherland.

He also observed that the number of Malays given by the Census Department was incorrect as a majority of the Malays have been included as 'Muslims' and that was wrong.

"We are more than in numbers than what the census shows and members of our community live in Colombo, Gampaha, Hambantota, Kandy, Badulla, Kurunegala and Nuwara Eliya. Azoor further said that they form part of the 8 per cent of the Muslims (those adhere to that religion) in which Moors were the majority.

The Malays are a distinct group and are placed second ethnic-wise while the Borahs and Memons formed the rest, he said.

Several others also addressed the media conference.