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Political allegiance of Sri Lankan Muslims - Part V:
Foreign assistance for development projects
A.A.M. Nizam
Iran emerged as the biggest lender to Sri Lanka, displacing
traditional top donors Japan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). It is
providing an interest free credit facility to the Sri Lankan Government
to purchase its oil requirements.
It also finances the Uma Oya multi-purpose hydro-power and irrigation
project, facilitates the provision of electricity in remote rural areas
by Power and Energy Ministry finances the building of the second oil
refinery at Sapugaskanda which would eliminate Sri Lanka’s need to
import any refined oil, aviation fuel, bitumen and liquefied petroleum
gas (LPG), building the Mahinda Rajapaksa Sports Development project in
Homagama and funds several other development projects.
The treacherous Ranil Wickremesinghe who is very much envious of
President Rajapaksa receiving aid from non-Western countries and the
country becoming free from Western domination strongly criticised the
visit of Iran’s populist President Dr. Mahmoud Ahmednejad and made a
despicable attempt to create disunity among the Muslims over his visit.
Speaking at a political rally in Kinniya. Wickremesinghe claimed that
Dr. Ahmednejad had come to Sri Lanka to compel President Mahinda
Rajapaksa to drive away the Sunni Muslims from the Hambantota District.
Libya was another country that had come in a big way to assist
President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his determined efforts to build a new Sri
Lanka for the benefit of the posterity. President Mahinda Rajapaksa was
the highest ranking guest of President Muammar Gadaffi on the occasion
of the Libyan National Day ceremonies held recently.
Kuwait assists Sri Lanka in several development projects and it has
signed an Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement with Sri Lanka
facilitating Kuwaits to invest in Sri Lanka. United Arab Emirates,
Bahrain, Qatar, Turkey, Indonesia and Malaysia are other Middle East and
Muslim countries which are involved in assisting President Mahinda
Rajapaksa in the implementation of various development projects.
It is the bounden duty of the Muslims to pay their sincere gratitude
to President Mahinda Rajapaksa for ending thirty years of war,
liberating this country and putting a permanent end to the atrocities
faced by the community from Tiger terrorists.
If it was anyone else other than the stone willed, Lion of the South
Mahinda Rajapaksa who gave leadership to the war, he or she would have
run away from the country similar to what Dudley Senanayake did when he
was faced with 1953 Hartal, or genuflected like what J.R. Jayewardene
did in 1987, because of the enormous and continuous pressure mounted by
Western nations NGO vultures, media poodles and treacherous political
elements to halt the war and rescue the terrorist leadership.
No sane Muslim could support the treacherous UNP, especially under
the leadership of Ranil Wickremesinghe who had continued to ignore
Muslim grievances and had always acted against the Muslim interests.
Former Colombo Deputy Mayor Asath Sally had shown in several media
gatherings how Ranil Wickremesinghe prevented a Muslim becoming a Mayor
of Colombo since the time he took the leadership of that. A pertinent
question that should be asked form the UNP is what they have done so far
for the Muslim community?
The UNP, the criminal gang JVP and a hodgepodge of Western slavish
political desperados including Rauff Hakeem who makes the Muslim
community as a commodity for sale for his personal gains, have brought
forward a worst communalist to stand against Muslim friendly President
Mahinda Rajapaksa in the forthcoming Presidential elections. This is a
man who stated several times that this country only belongs to Sinhala
Buddhists and although other communities could live here they should not
ask for any privileges and if they need such privileges they should go
to their countries of origin.
This Western slavish and terrorist sponsored candidate does not know
even the history of this country. He is only attempting to implement a
vicious program laid down by the Western nations, as it is his desire to
settle down in the United States having his family already settled down
there. He does not know that patriotic Muslims at the times of Kings
Mayadunne, Wimaladarmasooriya and Senarath, joined the Sinhala Army in
their thousands and valiantly fought the Portuguese enemy.
The writer is a former Vice President of SLFP Central Committee,
Matara electorate.
Concluded
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