In light of the Government’s decision to lift the ban on five Islamic organisations, a measure initially imposed following the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 2019, former Public Security Minister and incumbent Government Parliamentarian Rear Admiral (Retd.) Dr. Sarath Weerasekera has called for the close monitoring of the relevant organisations.
The ban on the United Thowheeth Jama’ath (UTJ), the Ceylon Thowheeth Jama’ath (CTJ), the Sri Lanka Thowheeth Jama’ath (SLTJ), the All Ceylon Thowheeth Jama’ath (ACTJ), and the Jamiyathul Ansaari Sunnathul Mohomadiya (JSM) organisations was recently lifted by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the Minister of Defence.
Commenting on the matter to The Daily Morning, Dr. Weerasekara said that the related decision was “wrong” and that the same may bring about various negative consequences. “What they say is that these organisations have not been involved in any extremist activity, but, we cannot simplify this matter with such an argument. There are numerous ways in which one can link with terrorism and extremism. These organisations can generate funds and they can be used for various purposes. There may be many other negative consequences.”
He also said that it was not appropriate to lift the ban imposed on a certain organisation to appease a particular group. “We are a country that is slowly rising up. We cannot allow another attack to take place as in 2019. In such a situation, it is not a good move to lift the ban on these organisations just to appease some group. If we keep doing what someone dictates, it would prove very harmful to the country and the people. Now, given that the decision has already been made, these organisations should at least be closely monitored.”
The decision to ban a total of 11 Islamic organisations, including the aforementioned five, was taken during the regime of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act. The banned organisations include the UTJ, the CTJ, the SLTJ, the ACTJ, the JSM, the Dharul Adhar @ Jamiul Aadhar, the Sri Lanka Islamic Student Movement, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the Al-Qaeda, Save the Pearls, and the Super Muslim.
As per a decision made at the National Security Council, the ban imposed on five of the said 11 organisations was lifted by President Wickremesinghe, and the move has seen criticism from several parties, including the Catholic Church. An academic who studies terrorism, Prof. Rohan Gunaratne, even called on the authorities to reconsider the decision, claiming that investigations have established these organisations' involvement in radicalising youth during the related investigations.
State Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon was not available for comment.