The Hon. Muneer Mulaffer - Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs

¶ 01 Thank you very much for this opportunity, Hon. Presiding Member.

¶ 02 Although not a key election pledge of the National People’s Power, as a responsible Government we pledged to reveal the masterminds behind the Easter attack. I am pleased that, at this 13th debate on Easter in Parliament, even leading figures of the Opposition acknowledge how far our investigations have now progressed. Not only those who voted for us, but even leaders of parties that worked to defeat our President now express confidence in this process. Accordingly, the trust in our officers – particularly Shani Abeysekara and Ravi Seneviratne – and the Opposition’s statement that the Government’s efforts are being supported by them, is gratifying.

¶ 03 However, I must also note: while you appreciate the direction of the investigation, you must as politicians also reflect on how your own leader – whom you represented and strove to make President by rallying the North, East and rest of the country – chose to attend the launch of “In Search of the Easter Mastermind.” I believe you now feel that pain and regret.

¶ 04 Hon. Bimal Rathnayake clearly set out the context of these events. Looking at the debates and media, we feel this was an attack that could have been prevented, and lives that could have been saved were lost because of failures in the then prevailing governance structures despite warnings and information.

¶ 05 After the war ended in 2009, the nation’s hope was to move forward together as Sri Lankans, not into another conflict. If we had, we could have achieved prosperity. But what did the then rulers want? Likewise, what drives today’s global wars? Arms manufacturers need wars somewhere; their existence depends on war. Anyone can be made into a terrorist or an extremist. As the Hon. Minister said, after 2009 a drama was staged here to find an enemy; they identified it within the Muslim community, painting them as a threat, building that narrative step by step. The 2014 attack on Dharga Town was a result. That was not an isolated incident.

¶ 06 Since the NPP Government came to power one and a half years ago, whenever ultra-nationalist groups have tried to sow communal hatred again, we have acted as a responsible Government to counter it, and we can be proud of that. But that was not the case then. In 2014, there was State patronage for those attacks. They provided full support and broke the economy in every direction. They also cherry-picked supposed “masterminds” for Easter.

¶ 07 We remember the 2019 presidential and 2020 general elections. Traditionally, in districts like Colombo, Gampaha, and Kalutara where Muslims are numerous, the main parties would field at least one Muslim candidate even if the seat was not easily winnable. But in that general election, for the sake of power, they fielded no Muslim candidates. When a Muslim candidate in Gampaha requested nomination, the answer given was: “Rather than fielding a Muslim and getting ten thousand votes, we can get a hundred thousand by raising voices against you and sowing hatred.” That was the political backdrop.

¶ 08 In crises one learns who stands by you. In 2019, with few NPP MPs in Parliament, they stood with the Muslim community and fought against racism here and outside. Recall how, after Easter and the following communal tensions, when Muslim Cabinet Ministers resigned, what statement did the current Leader of that party make? He remained silent and did not act against the tide. Today, his position is clear: by sitting in the front row at that book launch, he signaled where he stands. Some honest SJB MPs are embarrassed and now claim it was AI-generated to escape.

¶ 09 I do not wish to dwell on the investigation itself, but on how rulers should act after such an attack. A good example is New Zealand after the Christchurch attack in 2019 where 51 were killed. The Prime Minister went to the mosque and did not criminalize the whole society; she isolated the terrorist and protected citizens. But here, some private media and individuals broke friendships publicly, shamed themselves, and branded the entire Muslim community as terrorists, spreading fear and questioning their place in this country. There were reprisals: the murders at Minuwangoda and Kottaramulla. Even after winning the election and assuming the Presidency, that hatred continued. The animus was evident in the matter of Dr. Shafi, where trust in a doctor was destroyed, tearing society.

¶ 10 During COVID, when the world suffered and economies struggled, they took a globally unique decision to forcibly cremate Muslim dead, against families’ wishes. What must we conclude? In any society there can be individuals with extremist ideas or terrorist tendencies. A Government must isolate them and rebuild peace, not label an entire race or a religiously represented segment as terrorists. The NPP Government is working for unity and peace, and is also working uncompromisingly to identify the real masterminds behind the attack. I conclude on that note.

¶ 11 Thank you.