Colombo, Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader and Member of Parliament Rauff Hakeem strongly condemned the government’s recent decision regarding the distribution of Qur’an copies, stating that neither the intelligence services nor the government have any authority to alter or correct Qur’an translations.
Speaking at a blood donation campaign organized by the Colombo branch of the Sri Lanka Muslim Youth Congress on the 22nd, Hakeem emphasized that Qur’an copies are printed under the direct supervision and patronage of the King of Saudi Arabia, the custodian of the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah. These copies, in Arabic and multiple translations, have long been distributed freely worldwide.
Hakeem criticized the Sri Lankan authorities for creating unnecessary fear based on the claims of a so-called “terrorism expert,” and for forming a committee that insisted Tamil translations must include footnotes before distribution could be permitted. He described the government’s move to return the Qur’an copies as arbitrary, disrespectful to religious sentiments, and cowardly.
“All our parliamentarians signed a letter opposing this, yet the government has acted otherwise. This decision must be withdrawn immediately,” Hakeem declared. He urged committee members to step back if they acted under undue pressure, and warned against portraying the Muslim community as prone to extremism.
He further noted that Qur’an copies and translations are openly available in bookstores across Sri Lanka and internationally, and can even be downloaded online. “When such access exists, what meaning is there in returning these copies? Why interfere only in Sri Lanka with the religious rights of Muslims?” he asked.
Hakeem stressed that the government’s decision was wrong, unprecedented in other countries, and amounted to an unnecessary imposition on the Muslim community. He reiterated: “Correcting errors in Qur’an translations is not within the authority of the intelligence services or the government. To say otherwise is unacceptable.”
Concluding, Hakeem called on the government to reconsider and withdraw the decision, warning that continuing such actions would only deepen mistrust and cause distress among Sri Lanka’s Muslims.
