Assalamu alaikum, ya nesan!

In his article titled “The burka may have bigger enemies than you thought”, Ibn Serendib discussed the possibility of international motivations in the recent terrorist attacks. In this post, Ibn Serendib would like to discuss the current situation of our Saraceni, and what we need to think about, going forward, for the sake of our beloved children, born and unborn.

In the day’s bygone, the Saraceni had only the ruling majority to manage, and that is a great success story. However, post 2004 even the ruling majority is ruled by international forces, centered in the West, and within the folds of the United Nations (UN). The rulers are being controlled by funding and financial aid, and they need to comply in order to ensure that our country can be sustained. Conditions for receiving this aid, have begun to include social policy, and the recent influx of aid into the country immediately after 21st April 2019, though officially publicized as assistance to fight terrorism, could well have been payment for getting the burka banned.

... post 2004 even the ruling majority is ruled by international forces, centered in the West, and within the folds of the United Nations (UN).

The rulers, and the majority in this country have been at peace with the Saraceni for a very long time, and there is no reason for hostilities. Telling the Saraceni what to do with regard to culture and social aspects make the rulers and the majority extremely uncomfortable, as they fear antagonizing not just the Saraceni but also the greater Islamic world which they depend on. However, when the Saraceni get in the way of financial aid and international funding, the rulers are put under pressure, and they tend to vent it in crude and amateur ways, which may have manifested in the form of tension and unrest.

Telling the Saraceni what to do with regard to culture and social aspects make the rulers and the majority extremely uncomfortable, as they fear antagonizing not just the Saraceni but also the greater Islamic world

The Saraceni are no more a fledgling community anymore. They have grown larger and stronger, and are now key players in the country. Therefore, they should start acting like “the big boys” that they have become, and preempt intervention by the rulers, by being sensitive to international pressure and taking steps to align themselves with important developments, before the rulers are required to step in. In this way we will become an asset to the country, and will be able to retain greater freedoms than we could otherwise.

In order to achieve preemption to government intervention, the Saraceni need to start thinking about a suitable social and cultural leadership structure, which can affect community wide maneuvering. For example, as the burka began to run shy of its welcome, such a leadership would have been invaluable to convince those that patronized the burka, to give it a rest, and thus avoided a ban. The burka could be resurrected at a much later, more conducive time. Many Saraceni expect this from our infamous mufti; you know, the one that wants to kiss the Cardinal. This is a natural choice as social and cultural leadership in other communities are affected by similar people, such as the mahanayakes, cardinals etc. However, mixing religious leadership with social and cultural leadership is not ideal, and concentrates too much power in a single individual, making him a bad religious leader, or a bad social leader or even both.

... the Saraceni need to start thinking about a suitable social and cultural leadership structure, which can affect community wide maneuvering.

Politicians have been the traditional place for social leadership in bygone days. But we were small then, and we are not small anymore. Unlike the good old days, when the likes of the erudite and eloquent M.C. Siddhi Lebbe and the Honorable Sir Razik Fareed roamed this earth straddling bother political and social leadership in our community, our present politicians do not have the same skill. Therefore, can we depend on them for this task?

As a matter of fact, this exact problem concerned the Late Sir Razik, and was one of the reasons he established the All Ceylon Moor Association (ACMA), to create a forum from within which social and cultural leaders can emerge. However, as Ibn Serendib has been told time and time again by those that have tried to gain membership, that this organization has turned into a closed-up family affair, whose predominant activities are historical, rather than progressive. It’s president, an esteemed professor from amongst the Saracen, should have been retired a long time ago. Its general secretary, a medical doctor, is barely concerned about new members or increasing the envelope of this organization, as much as he is with his profession. The ACMA is in dire need of new blood. Will they rise to this challenge?

Therefore, how can we affect social and cultural leadership? Where will the next M.C. Siddhi Lebbe come from? Will he (or she) come at all? These are important questions that Ibn Serendib wishes to pose for esteemed consideration of his readers.

May Allah guide them in their thinking! Ameen!