Ranil’s statement controversial - A H M Azwer, MP

Addressing a recent UNP propaganda meeting in the Eastern Province, as reported in certain sections in the press, Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe, was reported to have said that the SLMC had rejected the Holy Quran and embraced the Mahinda Chinthanaya, says Member of Parliament and Parliament Council Member A H M Azwer in a release.

Azwer states:”This is nothing but a blatant statement of sheer blasphemy! “No person in saner mind would state that a Muslim would give up Al-Qurâan in order to follow anything else. “The Holy Qurân is a divine message. It is Qufriyath (un-Islamic) to abandon it for something else.

“Wickremesinghe made a similar statement sometime ago when his meeting was stoned by some Muslims in Beruwela in which incident he tried to equate himself to the status of the Holy Prophet by comparing it to the Kafirs of the city of Taif throwing stones at the Prophet.

“Failing to arrest the avalanche in his own party in the South, Mr Wickremesinghe hurries to the East and tries to woo the Muslim voters by making such inane statements.

“Sometime ago, Mr Wickremesinghe also made inaccurate statements averse to Buddhism and Buddhist history and found himself bogged in a deep quagmire.

“On an earlier occasion too, he made a mis-statement at a BMICH meeting that Islam was spread by the sword! No one would dare to listen to such drivel!

Is this his ignorance of Islam or is he attempting to deliberately deface Islam and humiliate the Muslims? “Isn't there a single Muslim MP or anyone from his party to advise him to desist from making such foolhardy statements about the religion of Islam?

However, this is the Holy Month of Ramazan in which the first five sentences of Al-Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace. Muslims in Sri Lanka and all over the world strictly observe a pious dawn to dusk fast.

“On an occasion such as this, it is saddening to hear such statements made by the Leader of the Opposition.

I vehemently protest against these anti-religious statements, and request him to apologize to the Muslims and withdraw his statement which really hurts the religious susceptibilities of the Muslims”.