United Muslim Delegation Achieved Results in Respect of Musali Land

United Muslim leaders comprising Muslim Ministers, Muslim Civil organizations led by Muslim Council met the Secretary to the President P.P.Abeyakone at a high level meeting held this morning (16). Discussion centred on recent Gazette notification declaring the native lands belonged to Muslim as Forest Reserve Area and the sufferings experienced by Muslims since they were chased out by LTTE in the year 1990.This has triggered off  several fasting unto death protests and protest demonstrations. This high level meeting was called to find a solution for this problem.

Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Local Government and Regional Councils, Faizer Mustapha, National United Front leader Azad Sally, Muslim Council Leader N.M.Ameen, Dr.A.S.Naufer voiced the sufferings of Muslims and well explained how the gazette notification of 2017 badly affected Muslims and convinced the gathering. Representatives of several other Muslim organizations too expressed their views strongly.

At the end of the discussion, the Secretary to the President has agreed to issue a fresh gazette notification declaring the forest reserve zone areas excluding the areas in Musali and Mannar, where Muslims had lived peacefully before they were chased out by the tigers (LTTE) in the year 1990. Further, he said that the President was concerned about displaced Muslims and expressed that great injustice has been done to them. His Excellency has advised him to find immediate relief to them and find a solution without dragging it further.

Followed by the high level meeting , Muslim Council has issued a statement that a decision was taken at this high level meeting to appoint a three member Independent Committee to meet the people concerned and find out real facts regarding their native lands and report. Period of this Committee will be decided by the Secretary to the President in consultation with the President.

This is seen as a great achievement made by united Muslim leaders.