Last week, we cautioned that unregistered mosques of a Wahhabist Islamic sect would become a hotbed for propagating religious extremism.
We reported quoting a Muslim community leader that out of 200 mosques which had recently been opened by Tawhid Jamath, which follows an austere brand of Islam, only 35 had been registered with relevant the authorities.
Our report came in the wake of Indian media reports which alleged that a Laskhar- e- Taiba terrorist arrested by Indian police over a bomb attack in Pune had confessed that he received his terror training in Colombo. However, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in a statement posted on the defence ministry website, denied that extremist groups operating in Pakistan had received training on Sri Lankan soil.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, stressed that Sri Lanka was free of terrorists and there was no ground for terrorists to receive training on Sri Lankan soil.
But, if anything to go by, the rise and spread of Wahhabism, the austere brand of Islamic teaching which follows a literal interpretation of the Quran, and is the core ideological force of al Qaeda led Salafi Jihadi revival, is a cause for concern.
A mainstream Muslim preacher in Colombo, who requested anonymity, citing fears of reprisals by Tawhid followers, says the Tawhid sect has got its followers in key positions in government ministries, bought air times in the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and revised school text books to give a Wahhabi outlook.
He says the Tawhid sect is generously funded by Saudi Arabia, of which Wahhabism is the state religion.
A number of charity organizations function as front organizations for Tawhid Jamath.
Among them are International Islamic Religious Organization (IIRO), Islamic Religious Organization (IRO), Al Muslimath, and ACTG etc, which maintain close links with Tamil Nadu Tawhid Jamath (TNTJ) founded by leading Wahhabi preacher P. Jainul Abideen (PJ).
He admits that these groups help the poor, but warns that they have used charity work to propagate religious extremism.
“They helped victims of tsunami in the East, then subtly preached them their version of Islam”
“People were naturally obliged to listen to them, because they had already been assisted by Wahhabists in their hour of need. Wahhabists exploited that weak spot,” he says.
The spread of Wahhabism in the East, most notably in the predominantly Muslim town of Kattankudy is attributed to aggressive proselytizing by the Tawhid sect, backed by generous financial support to new converts.
The flow of money to the Wahhabist sect from the Middle East should be monitored, he recommends.
He says Petro dollars have been used to buy over the key officials in government ministries. “These officials help Wahhabists to operate and propagate with ease,” he says.
Even the religious text book committee of the department of education has been infiltrated by Tawhid followers, he alleged, adding that school text books have been revised to provide a Wahhabi outlook of Islam.
“By this pace, fundamentalist indoctrination would start right there at schools,” he alleged.
Another community leader Riyaz Sally, Chairman of Islamic Solidarity Fund alleges that some private Muslim international schools propagate Wahabbism to students.
“When children come home, brainwashed by ‘incorrect’ religious teaching, they begin to question moderate faith,” he says.
Mainstream Sri Lankan Muslims follow Islamic traditions infused with mystical Sufism. Shrines, where Islamic holy men were buried had been part and parcel of most Sufi mosques, many of which are centuries- old.
Wahhabism, derived from the teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab, and eighteenth century religious zealot, after whom the movement is named, decries shrines as un-Islamic.
“When children, who are taught Wahhabism in schools come home and see their parents paying homage to a saint enshrined in a tomb, they then say parents are not Muslims,” says Sally.
“I know some families have split because of Wahhabist indoctrination,” he says.
Tawhid followers who, through subtle mechanizations, took control of the trustee committees of centuries-old Sufi mosques are infringing on Sufi practices.
“For instance, a Tawhid group took control of the trustee board of a mosque in Kollupitiya and shut down the centuries old shrine which devotees visited daily,” he says.The dispute ended only after the Court ordered the shrine to be open.
Sally alleges that the Tawhid sect is using air time in SLBC to propagate Wahhabism.
“They have bought two hours of air time from 12 noon to 2 pm of the SLBC Muslim Service, and through air waves, are often challenging practices of mainstream Muslims,” he said.
He says he complained to the chairman of the SLBC, but his protest was in vain.
“This program is radicalizing housewives,” he alleged.
Saudi Arabia is criticized by international groups, including Freedom House for exporting its ‘hate ideology’.
Freedom House in an earlier report said that Wahhabi publications in a number of mosques in the United States were preaching that Muslims should not only “always oppose” infidels “in every way”, but “hate them for their religion ... for Allah’s sake”, that democracy “is responsible for all the horrible wars of the 20th century”, and that Shia and certain other non-Wahhabi Muslims were infidels.
Saudi Arabia had spent 87 billion US Dollars to propagate Wahhabism abroad during last two decades according to a report of the US Senate Committee on Judiciary, and Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security in 2003.
The Islamic Religious leader, quoted earlier in this report alleged that handsome Saudi funding was behind the mushrooming of Wahhabi mosques.
Though mosques should be registered with the Waqf board, the majority of Tawhid mosques disregard this requirement.
“The Tawhid sect purchases houses at exorbitant prices and turns them into Madrasas. They indoctrinate poor local youth in Wahabbism in these places.”
He says Wahabbism in the East has taken a violent turn, expressing fears that Jihadi groups in the area are possessing firearms. Last year, several Muslim groups handed over weapons responding to a government announcement.
He alleges the Jamiyathul Ulema, the leading association of Islamic theologians in the island, is turning a blind eye to the rise of extremism.
“In 2009, after media reported about Jihadi groups in the East, the Jamiyathul Ulema issued a media statement denying the existence of such groups. But, what do they say now after an illegal radio station operated by the Tawhid sect in Beruwala was seized by the police?” he asks.
Two months back, police raided an unauthorized radio station operated by Tawhid followers in Beruwela and seized equipment worth 10 million rupees.
“A decade back, our mosques were places of peace; we went there in peace, prayed in peace and came out with peace of mind,” he says.
“This new sect has caused quite a lot of disharmony among Muslims.”
“The government should act now, before it is too late. The flow of funds from the Middle East should be monitored. And teaching in these madrasas should be regulated and monitored,” he says, adding :
“Fundamentalist threat is real.” (by;
Ranga Jayasuriya)
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