Featured Sri Lanka to Ban Burqa and Shutdown Islamic Schools

[Vanguard One]

A Muslim woman wearing a burqa walks along a path on the outskirts of Colombo on March 14, 2021.


Sri Lanka will ban the wearing of the burqa and shut more than 1,000 Islamic schools in the latest actions affecting the country's minority Muslim population.

A burqa is a garment worn by some Muslim women that covers the entire body, including the face, with mesh over the eyes.

Sarath Weerasekera, the country's minister for public security, signed a paper on Friday for cabinet approval to ban burqas on "national security" grounds.

"In our early days Muslim women and girls never wore the burqa," he said in a news conference on Saturday. "It is a sign of religious extremism that came about recently. We are definitely going to ban it."

The wearing of the burqa in the majority-Buddhist nation was temporarily banned in 2019, after a series of bombings on Easter Sunday that killed more than 270 people and injured 500 in churches and hotels.

In the days following the attacks, Sri Lankan intelligence services said they believed the suicide bombers had clear links to ISIS.

The alleged mentor and ringleader, Zahran Hashim was a radical Islamist preacher, known to the authorities and local Muslim community.

Later that year, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, best known for crushing a decades-long insurgency in the north of the country as defense secretary, was elected President after promising a crackdown on extremism.

Rajapaksa is accused of widespread rights abuses during the war, charges he denies.

Weerasekera said the government plans to ban more than 1,000 madrassa Islamic schools that he said were flouting national education policy.

"Nobody can open a school and teach whatever you want to the children," he said.

The government's moves on burqas and schools follow an order last year mandating the cremation of Covid-19 victims -- against the wishes of Muslims, who bury their dead. This ban was lifted earlier this year after criticism from the United States and international rights groups.

Sri Lanka to ban burqas and shut Islamic schools for 'national security' | CNN

Sri Lanka will ban the wearing of the burqa and shut more than 1,000 Islamic schools in the latest actions affecting the country's minority Muslim population.

edition.cnn.com

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/29/asia/sri-lanka-face-coverings-ban/index.html

Sri Lanka to ban burqas, close Islamic schools

Sri Lanka has announced plans to ban the wearing of burqas and said it would close more than 1,000 Islamic schools known as madrassas, citing national security.

Sri Lanka to ban burqa and close 1,000 Islamic schools

Minister cites national security for decision, saying garments are ‘sign of religious extremism’

www.theguardian.com

 

[Bilal9]

Good luck to Sri Lanka's economy, which is moribund at best.

Now their govt. is trying to seeking conservative Buddhist votes, running uselessly after Burqas and Niqab.

As if banning Burqas, Niqab and Topis will reduce any Islamic extremism in Sri Lanka, if they had any in the first place.

 

[jupiter2007]

They are not going to banned that. There was bill brought up but it's not going to pass.

 

[War Thunder]

Then why don't men wear burqa ?
Or children ?
Specially when bacha baazi is quite common in some areas in your country and is not even considered rape.
We will decide what will happen in India not you ,you can keep Pakistani women in black tent from head to toe we don't care.

Men are not designed to be attractive for their physique to the opposite gender. What parts of a man are you mostly attracted to when you spot them on the street? You might need a visit to a psychologist instead of wanting men to be covered.

As for child molestation, why don't you look at your shinning india and fix it before trying to comment on mine?
"109 children sexually abused every day in India"
And those are only the reported cases.


And so you perverted men of india who won't let any woman pass without scanning her from head to toe will decide what happens to them there? Are they even interested in taking your perverted opinion on it?

As for our women, they get to decide what they expose and to whom. That's what we call freedom. So perverts like you should keep away from making comments like "burqa" having no place in any society.
It's probably the most needed thing in your uncivilized society specially when no women there feels secure and every single one of them has been harassed multiple times.

 

[Baby Leone]

BTW after Pakistani ambassador raise the issue this happened:

Srilankan govt sais we are looking to discuss it not implemented it yet.

Sri Lankan government would not rush to ban burqas, says senior minister

The Sri Lankan government will not rush through process to ban burqas in the country and a decision regarding the same would be taken after reaching consensus.

www.republicworld.com

 

[Bilal9]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=4070897442943847

 

[Gilljutt]

LoL. Burqua is also banned in China. Don't hear too many pdf'ers crying about that.

 

[Mirzah]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=4070897442943847

this is tough one, but do we have to defend the Burqa? Since its not required to cover the face in Islam? as per majority opinion in jurisprudence

 

[samv]

this is tough one, but do we have to defend the Burqa? Since its not required to cover the face in Islam? as per majority opinion in jurisprudence

No you don't. It's silly how people are so outraged over banning something that is really associated with Salafism. It's like people being outraged over raising the age of marriage for females or prohibiting genital mutilation because they see it as an attack on their faith

And the burqa hasn't even been banned. And not even close to being banned.

Any complaints should be forwarded to Sri Lanka's (Muslim) Minister of Justice Ali Sabry.

 

[Indos]

No you don't. It's silly how people are so outraged over banning something that is really associated with Salafism. It's like people being outraged over raising the age of marriage for females or prohibiting genital mutilation because they see it as an attack on their faith

And the burqa hasn't even been banned. And not even close to being banned.

Any complaints should be forwarded to Sri Lanka's (Muslim) Minister of Justice Ali Sabry.

How about Islamic school ???

I just feel that it lets to woman if they want to use Burqa or not, it is their body and we should not control it, unless they enter high security place and they should show their face for security reason.

Hijab is like this, this is already enough, but free of expression over women right should be protected, unless they go naked on the street.

 

[Juggernaut_Flat_Plane_V8]

I am tired of every Islamic issue being posited as a Muslim vs Non-Muslim thing when there is a rich tradition of debate within Islam itself surrounding these various issues...Burqa and other sorts of Islamic clothing can also be obscene, if they completely accentuate the female curves inspite of covering them...Many Middle-Eastern women in Europe use this tactic..They would purportedly use Islamic headdresst for apparent modesty, but the curvy clothings would be so skin tight that they would give the game away..Many Indian and Pakistani Muslim women have commented negatively on this

Good luck to Sri Lanka's economy, which is moribund at best.

Now their govt. is trying to seeking conservative Buddhist votes, running uselessly after Burqas and Niqab.

As if banning Burqas, Niqab and Topis will reduce any Islamic extremism in Sri Lanka, if they had any in the first place.

remember the Easter bombings in 2019..hundreds killed

 

[samv]

How about Islamic school ???

I just feel that it lets to woman if they want to use Burqa or not, it is their body and we should not control it, unless they enter high security place and they should show their face for security reason.

Hijab is like this, this is already enough, but free of expression over women right should be protected, unless they go naked on the street.

View attachment 725945

Islamic schools are not banned in Sri Lanka.

In fact, they run under the guidance of the Sri Lankan government.

If you actually read what was stated it is the unregulated Islamic schools that are to be shut or brought under government supervision.

The Sri Lankan government has a Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs which looks after this.

Muslim students are also mandated to learn Islam as a religious subject in government schools.

Previously the government even subsidized extra cloth for hijabs for Muslim female students.

 

[Mirzah]

And the burqa hasn't even been banned. And not even close to being banned.

Good to hear that, Islamic schools with government supervision should be allowed

 

[Imran Khan]

SL have every right to make laws in their own country .

 

[samv]

Good to hear that, Islamic schools with government supervision should be allowed

Just note that the Sri Lankan government funds all of this for its Muslim citizens:

Do you know of a single Muslim country that does this for its non-muslim citizens?


Functions of the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs:

1. Registering Religious Institutions including mosques and appointing trustees.
2. Administrating the Muslims Charities Fund and the implementing Wakfs act.
3. Providing funds for developing the registered mosques, Ahadiya (Daham Schools), Arabic Colleges, Quran Madrasa and Other Religious Institutions.
4. Announcing the beginning and ending of the month of Ramadhan and distributing dates during the holy month of Ramadhan, this is donated by the Muslim Countries, through the main mosques of the districts.
5. As an annual event to commemorate the National Meeladh-un Nabi Day, a religious and cultural program in a selected District has to be conducted. During this festivity, activities like developing mosques, religious institutions, muslim and non-muslim schools in the district also to be carried out. Simultaneously felicitating pioneers in the Muslim community, awareness programmes, competitions and prize giving ceremonies and publishing books with a historical value of that area also will take place.
6. Arrangement for the Hajj Pilgrimage.
- Issuing license and registering the most capable agents
- Educating pilgrims about the Rituals / Systems of the Pilgrimage
- Distributing guidance book of Hajj pilgrimage.
- Organizing Airlines for the pilgrims
- Guiding and Assisting the Pilgrims during their stay in KSA
- Providing Medical facilities for the pilgrims in KSA
- Guiding and Assisting the Pilgrims at the Air port in Sri Lanka and Jiddah
- Monitoring the services of Hajj Operators in KSA and attending to the needs
- Coordination with the Hajj Ministry officials in KSA 6
7. Providing uniforms to Ahadiya Teachers Island wide, providing allowance for library books, conducting training programs for Ahadiya Teachers and introducing syllabus for Ahadiya schools.
8. Registering Muslim Welfare Associations & Monitoring their activities.
9. Providing necessary training for Islamic pre-school teachers and participating to continue their activities.
10. Conducting an award ceremony called Kalaboosana to felicitate and offer awards to Muslim Artist (This is a common program organized by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs )
11. Encouraging Muslim Authors by purchasing their books and distributing the same among libraries in Muslim schools.
12. Conducting awareness programs and Workshops to train the trustees of the mosques and members of the administrative bodies of the Islamic Institutions.
13. Selecting Candidates for international competitions on Recital/ memorization of the Holy Qur’an. These competitions will be held annually in Egypt, Iran, Malaysiya & Dubai.
14. Selecting students for Islamic higher studies for foreign lands.
15. Issuing special Identity cards for Muslim theologies. (Moulavies)
16. Issuing Religious certificates as a confirming document of the religion for the Muslims who travel to Saudi Arabia.

https://www.parliament.lk/uploads/documents/paperspresented/performance-report-department-of-muslim-religious-cultural-affairs-2017.pdf