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A monotheistic religion :
Reference is made to M.B.M. Zubair's letter in the Citizen's Mail
column on February 21, titled 'Abu Fuard and Islam a correction'.
I thank Zubair for enlightening me that Islam is a religion that has
been in existence from time immemorial and that Prophet Muhammed was not
the founder of Islam but the final messenger of Allah (God) to whom the
Quran was revealed.
Zubair further states 'In Islam it is never referred to as God
Muhammad, because Allah is different from Prophet Muhammed'.
In my article on Abu Fuard, under the sub-heading Following of Islam
Precepts, I quoted the definition of Islam which reads thus:
'Monotheistic religion founded by Muhammad in Arabia in early 7th
century. At the heart of Islam stands the Koran, considered the divine
revelation of God to Muhammad. Muslims submit to the will of Allah by
five basic precepts (Pillan).
First the Shahadah, there is no God but Allah and Muhammed is his
Prophet: Second Salah – Five daily ritual prayers. The third Zakat or
Alms-giving. Fourth, Sawm fasting during Ramdan. Fifth Hatt the
pilgrimage to Mecca. I got my facts from Philips Encyclopedia page 418.
Premasara Epasinghe – Colombo
There is opposition to Halal branding of food items. The campaign is
not against Islam or the Muslims though certain Muslim politicians and
fundamentalists along with political opportunities, are attempting to
twist the issue to mislead the public and create dissension in the
country.
The Holy Quran does not approve cruelty to animals. Even killing
animals for food, in accordance with Hadith (collection of traditions
rendering to sayings of Prophet Muhammed, which constitute the source of
guidance of Muslims after the Holy Quran) has to be done without
inflicting pain on animals and Muslims are permitted to eat such Halal
meat.
Thus Halal meat is that of animals killed as prescribed by Muslim
regulations.
The attempt to commercialize the term Halal to all foods is nothing
but one designed to force Muslim religious procedures by fundamentalists
on non-Muslims.
Opposition to that is justified and there should be no qualms about
that. As much as Muslims have the right to demand Halal branding of food
items such as even biscuits, non-Muslims have the right to reject Halal
branded food as it is not in their culture.
I wish to conclude quoting Sura 109 of the Holy Quran which reads as
follows:
“Unbelievers, I do not worship what you worship, nor do you worship
what I worship. I shall never worship what you worship nor will you ever
worship what I worship. You have your own religion and I have mine.”
So, let it be that.
Upali Jayasekera - Rajagiriya.
Our family planned a pilgrimage to Dambadiva and applied for visas
for 10 days with double entry, as Lumbini in Nepal was also in the
itinerary. Our group comprised of one from London and two each from the
States, Australia and Sri Lanka. The two in the States had to undergo
much harassment at the Indian visa office over there.
My wife and I being dual citizens of Sri Lanka and Australia, applied
from Sri Lanka and were asked to submit copies of our BCs, NICs and Dual
citizen certificates to support our applications. My sister applied for
double entry to Lumbini with the required fees and was given single
entry visa on the day before we were to leave on the tour.
Why does India make it so difficult to obtain tourist visas even when
the purpose of pilgrimage has been stated?
Ranjith Abey email
President Mahinda Rajapakse deserves encomiums for his call to the
younger generation to use the English language as a tool to achieve
their objectives. He states that English should not be a monopoly of the
elite social class. History will reveal those who were responsible in
dethroning English for myopic, chauvinistic and narrow political gains.
The President's step is one in the right direction to undo the wrong.
Although Sinhala was made the official language and the medium of
instruction in schools, parents with means educated their off-springs in
prestigious schools which imparted a sound education in English. It
could therefore be said that dethroning English was a major cause for it
to be a monopoly of the elite. Friction between the English educated and
those who are not is therefore inevitable at universities and in
workplaces.
Those who were educated entirely in the Swabasha, realizing the value
of English took all steps possible to educate their children in English,
which is a sine-qua-non for an all round higher education.
The state even conducted crash courses to enable employees to acquire
proficiency in English. With all that, Swabasha will never be able to
cope up with the ever increasing knowledge that abounds in different
fields of learning.
This lacuna in the education field led to the mushrooming of half
baked tutories with teachers having only a smattering of English.
The shortage of qualified teachers is a reason why English is not
taught in many rural schools. Hand outs and tutorials churned out at
these places bear testimony to the standard of the knowledge imparted by
them. A glance at the bill boards and commercials all over will show the
depths to which the standard of English has fallen. Former Cabinet
Secretary B.P. Peiris writing his memoirs, stated that although Sinhala
was the official language all Cabinet Papers and government business was
conducted in English.
He went on to say that the Sinhala only bill was the biggest bit of
bluff that was introduced into this country. No one will deny that the
ethic problem was a direct result of the Sinhala only policy.
It is a common sight to see people on streets close to betting
centers wading through race sheets printed in English. If they require
that bit of English, how much more will children need for their
education and the working class to communicate with the business
community and the outside world? Will access to IT and other disciplines
ever be possible without English? Those who are proficient in English
will have an edge over others in procuring employment in the private
sector, where business is done only in English.
How much time will be required to undo the damage done over a period
of over fifty six years is left to be seen by the next generation.
Knowledge and the finer points in speech, grammar and writing that could
be garnered by personal interaction of teacher and pupil cannot be
gained by present day learning aids such as DVD's. For those in the
field of tourism to gain a knowledge of any other useful language,
English will be a necessity as it shares a common alphabet with most
languages.
Merril T.M. de Silva - Moratuwa
A television channel recently in its news programme showed a road
being constructed through the Sinharaja forest, connecting the village
of Illumbakanda with that of a lesser known village.
The Sinharaja National Heritage Wilderness was declared a World
Heritage Site in 1988 and is a relatively well protected rain forest in
Sri Lanka. It is endowed with a uniquely high biodiversity with a high
density of endemic species. However it is in forest areas outside this
site, that the biodiversity levels are greater.
Land encroachment has persisted due to the absence of a proper system
to protect lands in the Sinharaja complex and in recent times, the rate
of encroachment itself has increased.
The construction of the road which cuts across lands of the
peripheral forest had begun in 2011. It was however stopped on an order
of the Ratnapura High Court, which favourably considered a petition
filed by the Green Movement against the willful destruction of the rain
forest. The road runs through areas under the Forest Department and also
through some areas that come under the Land Reform Commission but once
completed would be subject to Forest Department control.
Although the purpose of this road is to connect two villages it is
not based on any administrative, educational, health or trade needs of
the villagers of Illumbakanda. For these needs, the villagers could
continue to go to Pothupityya or Kalawana located just five kilometres
away. While a number of villagers in Sri Lanka are clamouring for
roadways to their villages, it is far from clear as to why a road of
nearly 18 kilometres is being constructed through this National Heritage
site.
Also what happened to the massive trees that were felled along the
road construction site is anybody's guess.
Harshi Nadie Perera - Piliyandala
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