Sri Lanka marked two years since the tragic events of Easter Sunday on 21 April 2019. Much has changed since, including the election of a new President and a new Government, which came to power upon a vow to bring to book all those responsible for the Easter Sunday terror attacks. However, one thing continues to remain unchanged. Sri Lanka continues to suffer the debilitating effects of ethnic and communal division.
The destroyed churches have been largely rebuilt, and the families of the victims have been somewhat compensated. The threat of Easter Sunday terrorist Zahran Hashim and his group has been neutralised by our able security forces, but the fledgling eco-structure of extremism is still intact. Four separate committees and commissions were appointed to investigate the Easter Sunday bombings, which are the Justice Vijith Kumara Malalgoda Committee, the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to investigate the Easter attacks, the Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on National Security, and the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on the Easter attacks. All four of them were consistent that religious extremism was the cause of the attacks.
Having received the recommendations of the committees and commissions, the Government acted expeditiously to implement some of the recommendations. This included imposing a restriction on Islamic texts being brought into the country until they are reviewed, preparatory measures to ban the niqab (the eyes are visible) and burqa (covers the entire face), an announcement that unregistered madrasas (educational institution where Islam is taught) will be banned, and the proscription of alleged extremist Islamist groups.
On 13 April 2021, the Government through Gazette No. 2223/3 formally announced the proscription of 11 Islamist groups. They are the United Thowheed Jamath (UTJ), the Ceylon Thowheed Jamath (CTJ), the Sri Lanka Thowheed Jamath (SLTJ), the All Ceylon Thowheed Jamath (ACTJ), the Jamiyathul Ansaari Sunnathul Mohamadiya (JASM), the Dharul Adhar, the Sri Lanka Islamic Student Movement (SLISM), the Islamic State (IS), the Al-Qaeda, the Save the Pearls, and the Super Muslims.
Previously, the Government had also endeavoured to proscribe the National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) of Zahran and the Jamiyathul Millathu Ibrahim (JMI) who appeared to have direct involvement in the attacks. Most of the recently proscribed groups have also been found to have played a role in the radicalisation of the youth who participated in the Easter attacks. The involvement of these groups is briefly mentioned in the report of the PCoI.
Involvement of proscribed groups
To begin with, very little information has been given in the PCoI report on the involvement of the proscribed groups, but it is noted that many of these groups had been represented in some way throughout the preparation phase of Zahran’s activities.
The report does not provide much details of the involvement of the UTJ except that the UTJ had presented a letter on 22 November 2016 condemning the speech of parliamentarian, President’s Counsel Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, which first introduced to the limelight the presence of Islamist extremism in the country. However, there are four reports on the subject, of which only one has been made public. Terrorism researcher Prof. Rohan Gunaratna states that evidence of the involvement of proscribed groups is contained in other reports, and will be detailed in court as the proscription is likely to be challenged before the Supreme Court. It is also noted that intelligence reports prepared by other countries have also revealed the extremist activities of the group.
Although little is spoken of the UTJ, enough is spoken of Razik Rafaideen alias Abdul Razik, who represents other organisations including the CTJ. With the presentation of evidence as to his controversial statements over the years, it is stated that he contributed in a substantial way to bring about disharmony between the Sinhalese and Muslims. Furthermore, it is also stated that a Friday sermon was organised by the SLTJ on 12 January 2018 preaching that democratic governance was against the teachings of Islam. This sermon was in tandem with the ideals of Zahran and the IS, who also strongly preached against democratic governance in order to spread their ideology. Furthermore, the bomber of the St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, Achchi Mohammadhu Mohammadhu Hasthun and his wife, Pulasthini Rajendran alias Sarah Jasmine, also belonged to the SLTJ.
On the involvement of the ACTJ, the PCoI report details how Abdul Latheef Mohamed Jameel, the Tropical Inn Lodge bomber, had met with Muhsin Sarfas Nilam at the ACTJ Mosque in Mallikarama Road in Dematagoda. Jameel was due to bomb the Taj Samudra Hotel, but was unable to trigger the bomb, which later went off in the Tropical Inn Lodge in Dehiwala. Jameel was an important member of Zahran’s group and was his link to the IS through another member named Aroos. He also helped form the JMI which was identified as the support group of the IS in Sri Lanka. Muhusin Sarfaz Nilam was one of the Sri Lankans who travelled to Syria to join the IS, and he frequented the ACTJ Mosque for his religious activities.
Proscribed groups with direct links
Apart from the NTJ and the JMI, which had directly engaged in the orchestration of the suicide attacks, there had been other groups which had also helped in the preparation phase. The Dharul Adhar or the Dharul Adhar Ad-Dhaiyah was an organisation founded by Zahran himself prior to the establishment of the NTJ. He had founded it with Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed Naufar alias Naufar Moulavi, who was recently named the mastermind of the attacks, and others. Although Zahran had left the Dharul Adhar after a dispute, and went on to set up the NTJ, the organisation was built on the ideals of Zahran and Naufar and contributed immensely to radicalise its members.
The SLISM, which is also recognised as the Sri Lanka Jamath-e-Islami Student Movement (SLJISM) or Jamiah, had produced a large number of extremists closely linked to Zahran. One of the members was Sadeek Abdullah, who was a close confidante of Zahran and executed the planned vandalism of the Buddhist statues in Mawanella. As established by US authorities, it was founded by Prof. Lukman Thalib in 1980, who is linked to the IS and the Al-Qaeda. The PCoI identified both the Sri Lanka Jamath-e-Islami (SLJI) and its Student Movement, the SLJISM, as extremist organisations, but the former eluded proscription.
The Save the Pearls organisation had facilitated numerous workshops at the Al-Zuhriya Arabic School in Karthivu, Wanathawilluwa from 2015 to 2019 according to the report. The training was given to the students of the madrasa/Arabic school. Zahran himself had lectured the students of the madrasa together with Ilham Ibrahim, both of whom had together bombed the Shangri-La Hotel. Ilham’s wife Fathima Jiffry, Hasthun’s wife Sarah, Zahran’s brother Rilwan, and Naufar Moulavi are also said to have participated in the programmes as resource persons.
Further to this, it has also been noted that Hayathu Mohamadu Ahamadu Milhan, who is now in the custody of the Police, was the head of the military wing of the IS in Sri Lanka. He was involved in procuring materials for the making of bombs together with Zahran’s brother, Rilwan, He was also involved in the murder of two police officers and the shooting of a co-ordinating secretary to MP Kabir Hashim by the name of Thasleem during the investigation of the Buddha statue vandalism. New information reveals that the Buddhist, Hindu, and Christian statues and shrines were vandalised during the ordeal.
The JASM
The JASM was an early attempt by Darwesh Abdul Hameed Bakri to establish Wahhabism in 1947 in Paragahadeniya, Kurunegala. Evidence suggests that two of its members were involved in vandalising a shrine in Paragahadeniya in the year of its establishment. There has been other evidence over the years establishing that the group has been involved in vandalising shrines and cultural centres. The Wahhabist ideology of the group is said to be very extremist.
Super Muslims
While nothing is mentioned in the report and little is known in regard to the Super Muslims, Prof. Gunaratna was able to provide information on the ideology of the group.
The primary focus of the Super Muslims is to redirect the attention of Muslims against the Illuminati, the Dajjal or the Anti-Christ, and the New World Order. They are followers of the preaching of Sheikh Imran Hossein, an anti-Salafist scholar based in Saudi Arabia. He (Sheikh) is known to fabricate the Hadiths and interpret them to his whims and fancies. The Super Muslims have rejected the IS and the Arab Spring uprisings calling them follies of the US in a bid to expand their weapon sales. They propagate a notion that a battle will come upon when the world is ending and that Muslims should prepare accordingly.
Their extremist notions could prove to be a weapon in the process of the radicalisation of Muslim youth. It is important that such ideals be kept at bay for the purpose of preservation of the true nature of Islam and for the safety of all communities in Sri Lanka.
Other groups
Although it appears that it is only the Muslims that have been targeted, the PCoI report must be commended for the fact that other extremist groups have also been recognised. The PCoI report identifies the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) as an extremist group and calls for the proscription of it too. The report also calls for legal action against the General Secretary of the BBS, Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera, for various inflammatory statements he made including the remarks he made in Aluthgama and Maharagama in 2013.
Apart from the controversial BBS, the PCoI report also names the Sinhala Ravaya, the Mahason Balakaya, the Sinhala Jathika Balamuluwa, the Sinhala Jathika Sanvidhanaya, and the Shiv Sena Movement, and calls for investigation into their extremism and actions.
However, none of these groups have been confronted in the process of investigation or proscribed based on the recommendation of the report. Perhaps, the Government may consider a future initiative to investigate and proscribe some or all of these groups during the process of de-radicalisation.
Conclusion
The Sri Lankan Muslims are a model community with over 1,400 years of heritage. The type of Islam practiced in Sri Lanka and the lifestyle of Sri Lankan Muslims promoted moderation, tolerance, and co-existence. However, foreign influences have managed to infiltrate local heritage and practices, which has then culminated in the Easter attacks. It is important to weed out the extremist influence which has corrupted the standing of Muslims in Sri Lanka.
It is interesting to note that the Government has swiftly moved to legally implement some of the recommendations in the report. Proscription is merely a first move, and there are many more recommendations to come. It is a good move, and time will reveal what the outcome of these measures would result in. The de-radicalisation programme will be key.
(The author is a legal researcher. He can be contacted via faizer@live.com)The involvement of proscribed Islamist groups in Easter attacks
23 Apr 2021
The involvement of proscribed Islamist groups in Easter attacks
23 Apr 2021
Sri Lanka marked two years since the tragic events of Easter Sunday on 21 April 2019. Much has changed since, including the election of a new President and a new Government, which came to power upon a vow to bring to book all those responsible for the Easter Sunday terror attacks. However, one thing continues to remain unchanged. Sri Lanka continues to suffer the debilitating effects of ethnic and communal division.
The destroyed churches have been largely rebuilt, and the families of the victims have been somewhat compensated. The threat of Easter Sunday terrorist Zahran Hashim and his group has been neutralised by our able security forces, but the fledgling eco-structure of extremism is still intact. Four separate committees and commissions were appointed to investigate the Easter Sunday bombings, which are the Justice Vijith Kumara Malalgoda Committee, the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to investigate the Easter attacks, the Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on National Security, and the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on the Easter attacks. All four of them were consistent that religious extremism was the cause of the attacks.
Having received the recommendations of the committees and commissions, the Government acted expeditiously to implement some of the recommendations. This included imposing a restriction on Islamic texts being brought into the country until they are reviewed, preparatory measures to ban the niqab (the eyes are visible) and burqa (covers the entire face), an announcement that unregistered madrasas (educational institution where Islam is taught) will be banned, and the proscription of alleged extremist Islamist groups.
On 13 April 2021, the Government through Gazette No. 2223/3 formally announced the proscription of 11 Islamist groups. They are the United Thowheed Jamath (UTJ), the Ceylon Thowheed Jamath (CTJ), the Sri Lanka Thowheed Jamath (SLTJ), the All Ceylon Thowheed Jamath (ACTJ), the Jamiyathul Ansaari Sunnathul Mohamadiya (JASM), the Dharul Adhar, the Sri Lanka Islamic Student Movement (SLISM), the Islamic State (IS), the Al-Qaeda, the Save the Pearls, and the Super Muslims.
Previously, the Government had also endeavoured to proscribe the National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) of Zahran and the Jamiyathul Millathu Ibrahim (JMI) who appeared to have direct involvement in the attacks. Most of the recently proscribed groups have also been found to have played a role in the radicalisation of the youth who participated in the Easter attacks. The involvement of these groups is briefly mentioned in the report of the PCoI.
Involvement of proscribed groups
To begin with, very little information has been given in the PCoI report on the involvement of the proscribed groups, but it is noted that many of these groups had been represented in some way throughout the preparation phase of Zahran’s activities.
The report does not provide much details of the involvement of the UTJ except that the UTJ had presented a letter on 22 November 2016 condemning the speech of parliamentarian, President’s Counsel Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, which first introduced to the limelight the presence of Islamist extremism in the country. However, there are four reports on the subject, of which only one has been made public. Terrorism researcher Prof. Rohan Gunaratna states that evidence of the involvement of proscribed groups is contained in other reports, and will be detailed in court as the proscription is likely to be challenged before the Supreme Court. It is also noted that intelligence reports prepared by other countries have also revealed the extremist activities of the group.
Although little is spoken of the UTJ, enough is spoken of Razik Rafaideen alias Abdul Razik, who represents other organisations including the CTJ. With the presentation of evidence as to his controversial statements over the years, it is stated that he contributed in a substantial way to bring about disharmony between the Sinhalese and Muslims. Furthermore, it is also stated that a Friday sermon was organised by the SLTJ on 12 January 2018 preaching that democratic governance was against the teachings of Islam. This sermon was in tandem with the ideals of Zahran and the IS, who also strongly preached against democratic governance in order to spread their ideology. Furthermore, the bomber of the St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, Achchi Mohammadhu Mohammadhu Hasthun and his wife, Pulasthini Rajendran alias Sarah Jasmine, also belonged to the SLTJ.
On the involvement of the ACTJ, the PCoI report details how Abdul Latheef Mohamed Jameel, the Tropical Inn Lodge bomber, had met with Muhsin Sarfas Nilam at the ACTJ Mosque in Mallikarama Road in Dematagoda. Jameel was due to bomb the Taj Samudra Hotel, but was unable to trigger the bomb, which later went off in the Tropical Inn Lodge in Dehiwala. Jameel was an important member of Zahran’s group and was his link to the IS through another member named Aroos. He also helped form the JMI which was identified as the support group of the IS in Sri Lanka. Muhusin Sarfaz Nilam was one of the Sri Lankans who travelled to Syria to join the IS, and he frequented the ACTJ Mosque for his religious activities.
Proscribed groups with direct links
Apart from the NTJ and the JMI, which had directly engaged in the orchestration of the suicide attacks, there had been other groups which had also helped in the preparation phase. The Dharul Adhar or the Dharul Adhar Ad-Dhaiyah was an organisation founded by Zahran himself prior to the establishment of the NTJ. He had founded it with Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed Naufar alias Naufar Moulavi, who was recently named the mastermind of the attacks, and others. Although Zahran had left the Dharul Adhar after a dispute, and went on to set up the NTJ, the organisation was built on the ideals of Zahran and Naufar and contributed immensely to radicalise its members.
The SLISM, which is also recognised as the Sri Lanka Jamath-e-Islami Student Movement (SLJISM) or Jamiah, had produced a large number of extremists closely linked to Zahran. One of the members was Sadeek Abdullah, who was a close confidante of Zahran and executed the planned vandalism of the Buddhist statues in Mawanella. As established by US authorities, it was founded by Prof. Lukman Thalib in 1980, who is linked to the IS and the Al-Qaeda. The PCoI identified both the Sri Lanka Jamath-e-Islami (SLJI) and its Student Movement, the SLJISM, as extremist organisations, but the former eluded proscription.
The Save the Pearls organisation had facilitated numerous workshops at the Al-Zuhriya Arabic School in Karthivu, Wanathawilluwa from 2015 to 2019 according to the report. The training was given to the students of the madrasa/Arabic school. Zahran himself had lectured the students of the madrasa together with Ilham Ibrahim, both of whom had together bombed the Shangri-La Hotel. Ilham’s wife Fathima Jiffry, Hasthun’s wife Sarah, Zahran’s brother Rilwan, and Naufar Moulavi are also said to have participated in the programmes as resource persons.
Further to this, it has also been noted that Hayathu Mohamadu Ahamadu Milhan, who is now in the custody of the Police, was the head of the military wing of the IS in Sri Lanka. He was involved in procuring materials for the making of bombs together with Zahran’s brother, Rilwan, He was also involved in the murder of two police officers and the shooting of a co-ordinating secretary to MP Kabir Hashim by the name of Thasleem during the investigation of the Buddha statue vandalism. New information reveals that the Buddhist, Hindu, and Christian statues and shrines were vandalised during the ordeal.
The JASM
The JASM was an early attempt by Darwesh Abdul Hameed Bakri to establish Wahhabism in 1947 in Paragahadeniya, Kurunegala. Evidence suggests that two of its members were involved in vandalising a shrine in Paragahadeniya in the year of its establishment. There has been other evidence over the years establishing that the group has been involved in vandalising shrines and cultural centres. The Wahhabist ideology of the group is said to be very extremist.
Super Muslims
While nothing is mentioned in the report and little is known in regard to the Super Muslims, Prof. Gunaratna was able to provide information on the ideology of the group.
The primary focus of the Super Muslims is to redirect the attention of Muslims against the Illuminati, the Dajjal or the Anti-Christ, and the New World Order. They are followers of the preaching of Sheikh Imran Hossein, an anti-Salafist scholar based in Saudi Arabia. He (Sheikh) is known to fabricate the Hadiths and interpret them to his whims and fancies. The Super Muslims have rejected the IS and the Arab Spring uprisings calling them follies of the US in a bid to expand their weapon sales. They propagate a notion that a battle will come upon when the world is ending and that Muslims should prepare accordingly.
Their extremist notions could prove to be a weapon in the process of the radicalisation of Muslim youth. It is important that such ideals be kept at bay for the purpose of preservation of the true nature of Islam and for the safety of all communities in Sri Lanka.
Other groups
Although it appears that it is only the Muslims that have been targeted, the PCoI report must be commended for the fact that other extremist groups have also been recognised. The PCoI report identifies the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) as an extremist group and calls for the proscription of it too. The report also calls for legal action against the General Secretary of the BBS, Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera, for various inflammatory statements he made including the remarks he made in Aluthgama and Maharagama in 2013.
Apart from the controversial BBS, the PCoI report also names the Sinhala Ravaya, the Mahason Balakaya, the Sinhala Jathika Balamuluwa, the Sinhala Jathika Sanvidhanaya, and the Shiv Sena Movement, and calls for investigation into their extremism and actions.
However, none of these groups have been confronted in the process of investigation or proscribed based on the recommendation of the report. Perhaps, the Government may consider a future initiative to investigate and proscribe some or all of these groups during the process of de-radicalisation.
Conclusion
The Sri Lankan Muslims are a model community with over 1,400 years of heritage. The type of Islam practiced in Sri Lanka and the lifestyle of Sri Lankan Muslims promoted moderation, tolerance, and co-existence. However, foreign influences have managed to infiltrate local heritage and practices, which has then culminated in the Easter attacks. It is important to weed out the extremist influence which has corrupted the standing of Muslims in Sri Lanka.
It is interesting to note that the Government has swiftly moved to legally implement some of the recommendations in the report. Proscription is merely a first move, and there are many more recommendations to come. It is a good move, and time will reveal what the outcome of these measures would result in. The de-radicalisation programme will be key.
(The author is a legal researcher. He can be contacted via faizer@live.com)Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!