Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana is to meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa to brief him on the threat posed to Eastern Province Suffi Muslims by armed groups, funded by Jihadi militants. Governor Moulana told Ceylon Today the Muslim armed groups operating in the East are systematically wiping out traditional Suffi Muslims in the area.
He said the armed groups which follow the Wahabi school of Islam have considered Suffi Muslims as infidels and attacked several Suffi mosques and destroyed Suffi shrines.
“I will be taking this matter up with the President. I understand these groups are being funded by several Middle Eastern countries. Some of our Muslim youth due to poverty are joining these armed groups and they are even sent to fight with terrorist groups,” he said.
“The police had earlier launched several investigations into their operations. Some of them have been arrested and their weapons recovered. But still they continue to operate in the East. Suffi Muslims in Kattankudy are unable to follow their faith due to being under threat by these groups,” he said.
Currently the State Intelligence Service (SIS) is probing the operations of the Muslim armed groups in the East.
Investigations by the SIS revealed that the said groups in the east are receiving funds from prominent international terrorist groups
Ceylon Today
