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Pro-ISIS terror groups to be banned soon
The Government will introduce tough new measures to curb activities of pro ISIS terror groups in Sri Lanka after last Sunday’s Easter massacre.
Last night, the President’s Office announced that the Government had taken measures to proscribe the National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ) and the Jamiathul Millathu Ibrahim (JMI) and declare them terrorist organisations.
Accordingly, the Government will take measures to freeze all moveable and immovable assets belonging to these organisations.
Steps will also be taken to ban other extremist organisations operating in the country, the President’s office added.
The Emergency Regulations confer wider powers on the armed forces and the Police to deal with those engaging in terrorism. The regulations will deal with matters such as the issue or publication of statements or pictorial representations by terror groups and threats to cause death or bodily harm.
The Emergency Regulations provide for the imposition of the death penalty on those found by the High Court to have committed terrorist offences.
The government yesterday also appealed to Muslim organisations to persuade women to refrain from wearing the Burqa and the Niqab, the black attire which conceals their identity. A security official said this had become inevitable in the light of the need to conduct security checks on persons and the possibility that terror groups will use the religious attire to carry out attacks.
The initiative to urge Muslim women to refrain from wearing Burqa and Niqab is being spearheaded by Justice Minister Thalatha Atukorale together with Muslim Affairs Minister Abdul Haleem. A Justice Ministry official said this was essentially a persuasive measure and added, “We hope they will co-operate. Otherwise, we will have no option but to introduce legislation after consulting Muslim organisations.”
The question of wearing Burqa was taken up at a special meeting on Wednesday. The proposal was made to ban it under Emergency Regulations.
However, the move was strongly opposed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera. No decision was taken.
However, the matter is to be discussed with the Muslim Affairs Minister and Muslim organisations.
Minister Haleem told the Sunday Times that a discussion jointly chaired by Minister Atukorale and himself was held at the Justice Ministry last evening, with the participation of representatives of Muslim organisations.
At the discussion, the Muslim leaders urged Minister Atukorale to give them a week to convince their community to stop wearing Burqa and Niqab, at least, for the time being, Mr Haleem said.
He said Ms. Atukorale emphasised the urgency to stop the attire being worn, noting that was a serious security threat, with the possibility of more attacks.