Hon. Kabir Hashim

¶ 01 [3.19 p.m.]

¶ 02 Hon. Presiding Member, today, our investment Agreement with the United Arab Emirates has been taken up for debate and the Hon. Bimal Rathnayake wanted to know whether we support that. Yes, as the Opposition, we do support the investment Agreement.

¶ 03 But, like the Hon. (Dr.) Harsha de Silva, I want to talk about something more pressing and relevant today, especially with the UNHRC session going on in Geneva. I wish to speak about the genocide, ethnic cleansing and mass killings in Palestine’s Gaza. The issue in Palestine’s Gaza is not a Muslim issue; it is a humanitarian issue. In fact, many Western European countries, as well as Catholic, Christian and Buddhist-majority countries, have spoken strongly against what is happening.

¶ 04 Countries like Ireland, South Africa, Thailand, Japan and France have spoken out. Spain, a Catholic country, under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has condemned Israel’s actions, saying: “This is not self-defence. It is the extermination of a defenceless people; it is a violation of all humanitarian laws.” Spain has implemented arms embargo measures, halting arms transfers and even oil supply channels to Israel.

¶ 05 About 24 countries issued a joint statement in July 2025, declaring “The war in Gaza must end now,” condemning the drip-feeding of aid and inhumane killing of civilians, including children seeking water and food. Foreign Ministers from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom signed it.

¶ 06 I speak not only as a Muslim MP but as a Sri Lankan. Silence would make me complicit. I acknowledge Members across Government and Opposition—Sinhala, Tamil, Hindu, Muslim—who have spoken without fear. However, many Muslim MPs and Ministers in Government remain silent or hesitant, and that is disappointing.

¶ 07 Please give me a moment more. When Presidents, Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers worldwide sign statements against this Zionist conduct, the Sri Lankan Government appears either subservient to, fearful of, or aligned with imperial powers, because it is reluctant to speak.

¶ 08 Consider recent incidents. A Sri Lankan youth in a supermarket was arrested and detained for weeks simply for sticking a “Free Palestine” sticker. Pro-Palestine posts on Facebook bring CID visits and arrests under “terrorism.” Recently in Arugam Bay, two Israeli tourists allegedly assaulted a Sri Lankan couple; police seemed hesitant. Action must be even-handed. Such events raise doubts—does this Government fear great powers?

¶ 09 At Geneva, when Sri Lanka is pressed on accountability, our Minister opposed external mechanisms, which is right. But he should also have pointed to Israel’s killing of over 68,000 Palestinians—80 percent women and children—and the dropping of over 85,000 tons of explosives, exceeding the Hiroshima bomb. Where is the accountability mechanism for that? Sri Lanka should adopt a principled, ethical and nationally appropriate stance.