Certain elements seeking petty political mileage out of Rizana issue - SLFP organizer

Rasika Somarathna

Attempts are being made by certain elements to seek petty political mileage out of the Rizana Nafeek issue, Sri Lanka Freedom Party Colombo District Organiser M Fawzan Anwer said yesterday. He warned that these may harm the longstanding friendly ties between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia.

He said elements with vested interests were trying to blame the President, the government and Saudi officials for Rizana's death. Anwer who is also a prominent social worker said the Saudi government on the request of the President and other state authorities in "Sri Lanka had done their utmost to save Rizana, but, their efforts were in vain as the dead child's mother had not consented for a pardon," he said.

"Under Sharia law, parents of the dead child were the ones who had to give the pardon when a person is convicted by courts of such a murder," he added.

"The fact that the case had gone on for more than seven years itself shows the effort put in by the government to save Rizana, because under normal circumstances, it would have been over within months" he said.

Anwer also pointed out the case of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia who died after a gun attack in Riyadh in 1975. Prince Faisal bin Musaed was later found guilty of regicide and in June 1975, he was executed for the murder of his uncle King Faisal within a few months of the incident. Anwer said if those people who were engaged in a blame game were genuinely concerned, it was their duty to support the government's 'efforts to prevent such tragedies in future and look after the welfare of Rizana's family instead of resorting to such tactics which will not bring any positive results to either Rizana's family or the country.