President to Muslims:
Join hands in nation building
Maximum security for Community:
The Government has provided maximum security and protection to the
Muslim Community while helping them to win over their rights. Since the
Government has fulfilled all its responsibilities by the Muslim
Community it is now up to them to join hands with the Government to
rebuild the nation, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The President made these observations addressing a delegation of the
All Ceylon Muslim Scholars Association at a meeting held at Temple Trees
on Tuesday. Nearly 1,500 persons including Muslim Theologians and
businessmen attended the meeting. President Rajapaksa who noted that the
Muslim Community had faced an unprecedented catastrophe and destruction
for nearly 30 years added that the Government was committed to erase the
shadows of that dark era and grant them all their rights.
The President said an interested party was trying to spread fear into
the minds of the Muslim Community by spreading a lie to the effect that
the Government which suppressed terrorism was now on a mission to
suppress Muslims and requested the Muslim Community to understand the
Government efforts to improve their lot without falling prey to such
malicious rumours.
The President who asserted that the Government was committed to bring
justice and solace to any individual or section of society subjected to
unfair treatment called upon everyone to stand for the truth by
dismissing untruth.
“My sole ambition and objective is to resettle all displaced persons
in their former lands and build a country where all can live in peace
and harmony devoid of any petty differences as to race, religion or
caste,” the President added.
Several Muslim delegates who expressed their sentiments that no
previous government was able to protect and safeguard Muslims when
nearly 20,000 Muslims were evicted from Jaffna within two hours and the
terrorists killed a large number of Muslims at Kattankudy.
They said President Rajapaksa and his Government was a blessing not
only for Muslims but the whole nation as Muslims had been provided with
full protection under their administration. The Muslim businessmen
handed over to the President a donation to be credited to the ‘Api
Wenuwen Api’ war heroes fund. Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa,
Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Donald Perera, Service Chiefs,
IGP and the Director General of the Civil Security Force were also
present.
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