'Shock waves of falsehood from Al-Jazeera'
Chamikara Weerasinghe
Muslim religious leaders yesterday criticized the controversial
Arabic News Channel, Al-Jazeera stating that the channel was sending
shock waves of falsehood on air about the situation of Tamil civilians
and how they are treated and cared for by the Government of Sri Lanka
and its Security Forces.
The leader of Muslim Thelological Council, All Ceylon Ulema Party,
Mowlavi Mubarak Abdul Majid said they regret that the station of Al-Jazeera
has transmitted news items alleging Sri Lankan Government and its
Security Forces of killing and attacking Tamil civilians in the conflict
zone with heavy weapons.
Mawlavi Majid said, it is disheartening and disgusting that a Channel
such as Al-Jazeera, which saw its origin as an alternative for BBC and
CNN news networks against the broadcast of false propaganda on the
Afghan and Iraq wars, has gone on to spread such falsehood at a time the
Government of Sri Lanka is doing its best to look after the welfare and
the safety of civilians in the conflict zone as well as those civilians
in IDP camps.
"We condemn Al-Jazeera for broadcasting false propaganda against the
Government of Sri Lanka and its Security Forces.
Mowlavi said they request as representatives of the Muslim community
in Sri Lanka, from Al-Jazeera, to refrain from broadcasting baseless
reports on the Sri Lankan Government and its Security Forces in relation
to its civilian situation in the North, without verifying the actual
ground situation." Meanwhile, President Counsel and former Ambassador of
Sri Lanka to Yugoslavia and Hungary and former High Commissioner of Sri
Lanka to Singapore, Razik Zarook said, it is regrettable that certain
foreign radio and TV channels, including Al-Jazeera have come up with
news items regarding civilians in the No-Fire Zone as being killed and
injured in large numbers due to military operations.
Referring to news item to have been aired by the Al-Jazeera channel
on the situation, Zarook said, "this news item was totally false and the
sources have not been verified."
"It is obvious that false representation has been made with vested
interest in an attempt to bring the Government and the Security Forces
into disrepute."
The Government is more concerned about the welfare of them as is
apparent from the large number of camps that the Government has set up
as it is fully committed to look after the IDPs the best way it can with
all necessary resources.
This has been appreciated by various fact finding foreign missions
including the British Parliamentary delegation that visited the IDP
camps, Zarook said. "The Government should not be deterred from its
campaign to wipe out the scourge of terrorism.
He said , foreign news channels should endeavor to verify their
sources and information before rushing to publish "sensational" news. |