Dambulla Mosque Cannot Be Relocated – SLMC
By Indika Sri Aravinda
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) decided yesterday that its stand on the mosque in Dambulla is that the mosque must remain at its current location.
The decision was taken following over 3 hours of deliberations which also saw heated arguments among the SLMC members.
SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem speaking to reporters after the meeting in Colombo said that the SLMC was saddened by the events which unfolded in Dambulla over the mosque issue.
He said that he will meet with President Mahinda Rajapaksa to convey the position of the SLMC on the Dambulla mosque.
“We have taken a public position that the mosque should not be relocated without consensus among the Muslim leadership,” he said.
The government has already decided to shift the mosque following pressure exerted by a group of Buddhist monks in the area.
Thousands of Muslims around the country staged protests after Friday prayers against the decision to relocate the mosque.
