Mustapha, Mustapha, Dont Worry Mustapha

Ceylon-Ananda.com
By Harishchandra Lokumanna -DECEMBER 17, 2014
Harishchandra Lokumanna
Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is
no river. ~Nikita Khrushchev
I instinctively remembered this first line of a song, being frequently sung by the little
daughter of one of my Muslim friends, when I heard Deputy Minister Faizer
Mustapha speaking his heart out at a recent press interview. He made a tongue in the
cheek statement at a press Conference, thus:
If the government has ties with the BBS I dont think I would be doing justice to my
community. But I know that I could support anyone if I work according to my
conscience, but if I know that the government is working directly or indirectly with the
BBS then I cannot continue in politics
What a statement from a good Muslim Minister, feeling for his community ! Does he
expect a signed written letter or a direct whisper from BBS to such effect, when the
whole world knows that the MR government, withGotabayas patronage has been
regularly pulling the puppet strings of and throwing the lifeline to BBS. In
fact,Gnanasara confirmed at their recent press conference in more unambiguous
terms to vote for the only Man with the moustache MR, who liberated the country,
while all others who contested against MR were branded as part of a foreign
conspiracy, little realising that Gnanasara himself supported Sarath Fonseka at the
2010 elections at Press conferences. Thus, when Gnanasara later claimed that he did
not ask the people to vote for MR, people obviously did not believe him, as he was
wearing Emperors clothes. His much publicized BBS meeting on 05th December at

the HydePark, promoted through their social networking sites, calling Sinhala
Buddhists to attend it in great numbers, fell into pieces. Ever since that meeting ,.
Gnanasara has gone into hiding and was heard to do some Adhishtana Poojas to
keep himself busy.

Thus, even after the allegiance of BBS to the government was made crystal clear thus
by Gnanasara himself after MR announced his candidature, and the Sinhala Buddhist
people also gave an indication by way of relatively very poor show-up at their Hyde
Park meeting, about BBS true intentions, what more does Minister Mustapha need ?
He is contradicting himself when he says that he is working according to his
conscience, but at the same time claiming ignorance of governments links with the
BBS. He should realize his blind spot and not try to dupe and hoodwink the Muslim
masses. I am sure they will not believe him, as he is but one of the shamed flock of so
called Muslim Ministers who have lost their appeal and credibility among the Muslim
electorate. Minister Mustapha can /should show his gratitude to MR for having
accorded him the PC title, above many others who are much more entitled to it; but he
should not make the Muslim community a conduit to further his aims.
Mustaphas hypocritical utterances is but just an example of political hypocrisy in
general which we see in this breed with no exception. Just as much as Sinhala
Buddhist politicians will go to lengths to sacrifice their Buddhist principles to further
their nests, and Tamil politicos will sacrifice theirs, so will Muslim Politicians too, if
there are in the government in power, not hesitate to make their community a scrapegoat if the need arises. We saw how Hakeem and Rishard Bathiudeen both tried to
out-beat each other to gain community admiration, after the Aluthgama episode in
June 2014. Hakeem said that he, as the Justice Minister, was ashamed to be part of
this government when he saw the government even manipulating with the forensic
records and his SLMC even walked out of the Parliament as a token sign of protest.

Bathiudeen too, had an altercation with MR at a cabinet meeting.

However, when the opportunity has now arisen to show their disapproval in real
terms , about the shoddy way in which their community was/ is being treated, and to
shake the mountain as stated by MP Hunais Farook in a recent press interview, these
so-called representatives of the Muslim community, have either decided to stay on with
the MR government who sponsored the hate attackers or dilly-dallying and thinking
high and low whether to or not to! Whether they have fallen for a carrot (more perks)
and scared of the stick (threat of exposing their files), it is downright betrayal of their
community for petty gains. It is very clear to all of us that these characters are mere
serfs in the service of MR.
Just as we Sinhala Buddhists are wary of and fed up with the so-called pseudo
patriotic stance of the BBS, Muslims too have become annoyed with these political
opportunists, for using them as a ladder to climb on. To compare them with historic
heavyweights among Muslim leadership namely Sir Razik Fareed, Badiudeen
Mahmud or even Ashraff (despite my dislike for his brand of communal politics) will be
an insult to say the least.
Fareeds political achievements for the community included gaining concessions for
Muslims like leave for Friday prayers and institutionalizing schools with a majority of
Muslim students as Muslim schools with special calendars, syllabi and uniforms.
Fareeds actions also greatly contributed to the institutionalization of a particular
Muslim identity. On the other hand, Badiuddin Mahmud had a specific strategy to
overcome the complacency of the Muslim community, who did not seem then, to be
thinking beyond their private business affairs. He was to stir the conscience and the
minds of the community to look at education as a future option for progressive
development. Being a nationalist he, along with Sir Fareed encouraged Muslims to
learn the Sinhala language. This proved to be invaluable to the Muslims both in terms
of developing a common language in the country as well as for purpose of
employment and business.
History will admire Ashraff for what he believed in (vision) and pursued. His political
outlook was much wider. Although the interests of his own community were paramount
for him, he was also extremely sympathetic to the Tamil problems and grievances and
how he tried to help realise the legitimate aspirations of Tamils, as well. Despite his
occasional clashes with Tamil politicians in later years in the interests of his
community, Ashraff had an empathy with Tamil and Tamils as well as he understood
Tamil grievances and appreciated their aspirations, unlike many of the current crop of
East based Muslim politicians. Ashraff was a person who felt that the fundamental
problem in Sri Lanka was Sinhala majoritarianism, and he tried to bring an
understanding among minority communities in order to combat it. In his later years, he

correctly realized that it was important to be change his communal stance. His
greatest virtue was therefore his change from a sectarian leader to a national one,
and formed the National Unity Alliance (NUA). Today, the SLMC, together with its
many breakaway factions are struggling to assert their claim to articulate Muslim
political needs and represent their interests. Instead, these characters are using their
community to further their own ends, and in the process have lost their influence
among the community they seek to lead.
Therefore, just as the Sinhala Buddhists are waking up to the reality that BBS is a
hoax and an extension of the Gotas arm of influence, it is time that the Muslim
community too, speak up against their so-called leaders and expose them for what are
and reject their false pretensions as their champions. This is an opportunity of a
lifetime and we should rise above communal politics and vote for a decisive change
the Common Candidatehas the necessary credibility to usher in an era of peaceful coexistence, and we should use our vote wisely, without falling into the traps laid by
these so-called community political leaders to continue to prop up a repressive regime
which has lost its War victory appeal among the electorate and the credibility to
achieve actual peace and harmony for our motherland, which should be more than just
absence of War. Hakeems, Rishards, Mustaphas and the likes, should be told they
have become irrelevant in todays socio-political context, and that Muslims can do
without champions like them! MRs utter silence when Muslims were under attack and
his attempts to show off as a Muslim-friendly Head of State, smacks of highest levels
of political hypocrisy, which the Muslims will be able to note and distinguish.
Posted by Thavam